ARABINOGALACTAN-PROTEINS - A CLASS OF EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX PROTEOGLYCANS INVOLVED IN PLANT-GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix of most plants. Since the late 1980s, AGPs have attracted wide spread attention from plant biologists following reports of their invo lvement in plant development, In particular the use of monoclonal anti bodies to carbohydrate epitopes of AGPs has demonstrated stage- and ti ssue-specificity and has led to suggestions that they are involved in tissue morphogenesis. The recent cloning of the genes for several AGP protein backbones allows us to consider new strategies to address thei r function. Here, we summarize our knowledge of AGPs and consider para llels with animal proteoglycans as a possible framework for future wor k.