Aggrecan immobilizes to perineuronal nets through hyaluronan-dependent and hyaluronan-independent binding activities.

ABSTRACT: Aggrecan (ACAN) is a large, secreted chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan that includes three globular regions named G1, G2, G3, and is decorated with multiple glycosaminoglycan attachments between its G2 and G3 domains. The N-terminal G1 region interacts with the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA), which is an essential component of the vertebrate extracellular matrix. In the central nervous system, ACAN is found in perineuronal nets (PNNs), honeycomb-like structures that localize to the surface of parvalbumin-positive neurons in specific neural circuits. PNNs regulate the plasticity of the central nervous system, and it is believed that association between ACAN and HA is a foundational event in the assembly of these reticular structures. Here, we report the cocrystal structure of the G1 regio

SUBMITTER: Otsuka MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12155565 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature