Heparan sulfates in skeletal muscle development and physiology

Abstract

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are major components of the skeletal muscle cell surface and of the basal lamina (BL) surrounding muscle cells. HSPGs consist of a protein core to which multiple heparan sulfate (HS) chains are attached. Individual HSPGs, notably agrin and perlecan, have been intensely studied in recent years. However, these studies focused on the protein core, ignoring the HS moiety mainly because of a lack of appropriate tools. Previously, it was shown that antibodies specific for unique HS epitopes can be selected by means of phage display. The aim of the study described here was to select antibodies against skeletal muscle HS, to investigate the occurrence of specific HS epitopes in muscle, and to analyze the involvement of HS in muscle development and physiology