Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.6.4 (chondroitinase)
 2,039 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Here we report that CD44 binds a chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycan, aggrecan, a major component of cartilage. Soluble CD44-IgG and CD44(+) cells bound to aggrecan from rat chondrosarcoma and bovine cartilage, immobilized on microtiter plates. In both cases, binding was blocked by a neutralizing anti-CD44 mAb or by the pretreatment of aggrecan with chondroitinase, but not hyaluronidase or keratanase, indicating that CD44 binds aggrecan in a manner dependent on CS side chains of aggrecan and that hyaluronic acid is not involved in the binding. Structural analysis showed that glycosaminoglycans of aggrecan from rat chondrosarcoma and bovine articular cartilage consist of mainly CS A and a mixture of CS A and C respectively. When immobilized on microtiter plates, both CS A and C bound CD44-IgG, and the reaction was specifically inhibited by an anti-CD44 mAb. In addition, aggrecan augmented apoptosis in cells expressing CD44-Fas chimeric molecules in synergy with a non-blocking anti-CD44 mAb IRAWB14.4, suggesting that CD44-aggrecan interaction can induce oligomerization of the chimeric molecules. These results suggest that aggrecan interacts with CD44 to mediate cell adhesion and to trigger oligomerization of CD44 molecules, which may lead to intracellular signaling.
 ...
PMID:CD44 binds a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, aggrecan. 1122 5

Immunohistochemical expression of standard and v6 isoforms of CD44 was performed on specimens from three groups of prostate cancer patients: Group I, primary prostate cancers (N=31); Group II? lymph node metastases (N=18); and Group III, bone metastases (N=15). In addition, serum from all Group I patients was analyzed for soluble CD44 expression. Benign glands exhibited strong CD44s and CD44v6 expression in basal cells. Weak basolateral staining was identified in superficial luminal cells. Malignant glands and metastatic tumors revealed diminished or absent expression of both CD44s and CD44vG with a heterogeneous pattern. Pretreatment with chondroitinase did not significantly alter CD44 expression. Soluble CD44 was present in all serum samples, however, expression was variable. There was no statistically significant correlation between immunohistochemical CD44 expression, soluble CD44 expression, and clinical progression.
 ...
PMID:Immunohistochemical and soluble expression of CD44 in primary and metastatic human prostate cancers. 2153 33