VERSICAN

Proteoglycans have long been recognized as participating in a number o f biological activities ranging from structural roles to regulation of transcription. Versican is a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan e xpressed in several tissues, including the nervous system. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular structur e and biological activity of versican. The progress is largely due to the application of recombinant DNA methodology and the generation of d omain-specific anti-versican antibodies. In the central and peripheral nervous system, versican is expressed by glial cells and is implicate d in the regulation of cell adhesion, migration, pattern formation, an d regeneration.