In fact, under varying conditions, individual proteins can even have opposing functions, making spatiotemporal contribution of these proteins in the rearrangement of multifaceted ECM very hard to grasp. Albeit some parallels can be made regarding the processes these proteins are involved in, their specific functions are extremely diverse. Glycoproteins (eg, thrombospondins, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, tenascins), proteoglycans (eg, versican, syndecans, biglycan), and glycosaminoglycans (eg, hyaluronan, heparan sulfate) are upregulated on cardiac injury and regulate key processes in the remodeling myocardium such as inflammation, fibrosis, and angiogenesis. This review will discuss the fundamental role of the matrix in cardiac development, homeostasis, and remodeling, from a glycobiology point of view. The common denominator for these groups is glycosylation, which refers to the decoration of proteins or lipids with sugars. The nonstructural compartment of the ECM houses a variety of proteins, which are vital for ECM plasticity, and can be divided into 3 major groups: glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans. The cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex architectural network consisting of structural and nonstructural proteins, creating strength and plasticity. Customer Service and Ordering Information.Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology.Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).Circ: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes.Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB).

Extracellular matrix