# STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 1991 · $188,414

## Abstract

Adhesion of cells to a supporting substrata is of a fundamental
importance for normal cell behavior.  Studies in our laboratory
have shown that the cell substrate adhesion process can be divided
into different discrete stages.  After cells have attached and
spread on a physiological substratum, they will in many cases
develop specialized matrix contacts (e.g.  focal adhesions and
reorganize their cytoskeletal elements to form stress fibers.
Formation of focal adhesions in mesenchymal cells seeded on a
fibronectin substratum seems to depend on the presence of a cell
associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan that interacts via its
polysaccharide chains with glycosaminoglycan binding domains in the
fibronectin molecule.  These observations form the basis for the
current proposal.  Answers to the following questions will be
sought:  What are the structural requirements of substrate
molecules other than fibronectin (e.g. laminin and fibrinogen) for
promoting focal adhesion and stress fiber formation?  What is the
structure of the core protein of cell surface heparan proteoglycan
and  how  is  it  anchored  in  the  membrane?  How  are  membrane
bound heparan sulfate proteoglycans associated with cytoskeletal
components?  Does focal adhesion formation result in post-
translational modification such as phosphorylation of participating
proteins?  How is cell substrate adhesion process regulated?  In
these studies, we will use biochemical, cell biological, molecular
genetical and immunological techniques.  It is our belief that
answers to these questions would help us better understand the
basic cellular processes involved in normal and pathological tissue
remodeling and repair.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155568
- **Project number:** 5R01AR027807-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **SAM.gov UEI:** YND4PLMC9AN7
- **Principal Investigator:** Axel MAGNUS HOOK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $188,414
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1980-05-01 → 1992-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155568

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155568, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (5R01AR027807-12). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155568. Licensed CC0.

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