Laminins of the dermo-epidermal junction

Laminins are the most abundant structural non-collagenous glycoproteins ubi quitously present in basement membranes. They are multidomain molecules con stituting a family of possibly more than 50 members. Some members such as l aminins 5, 6 and 10 are specific of the basal lamina present under stratifi ed epithelia. Although only few intact laminin isoforms have been purified from cultivated cells or tissues, genetic engineering has opened the way fo r a rapid development of laminin structural biology. Moreover, the phenotyp es resulting from gene targeting in mouse or from laminin defects in acquir ed or inherited human diseases highlight the pivotal role of laminins in mo rphogenesis, development, and physiology. Indeed, the laminins display a re markable repertoire of functions, most importantly as structural elements f orming a network throughout the basement membrane to which other collagenou s or non-collagenous glycoproteins and proteoglycans attach. Furthermore, t hey are signaling molecules providing adjacent cells with diverse informati on by interacting with cell surface components. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B .V./International Society of Matrix Biology. All rights reserved.