Summary
Heparin is known to bind a large number of proteins not involved in anticoagula-tion, such as growth factors, adhesive proteins of the extracellular matrix, viral coat proteins and other enzymes and proteins. In vivo predominantly heparan sulfate – the most ubiquitous cell surface glycosaminoglycan – takes the functional role of heparin. Structural features, sources and non-anticoagulant func-tions of heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan are described. The functional diversity of heparin and heparan sulfate is reviewed in the following sections: (I) heparin and heparan sulfate as partners in fibroblast growth factor action, (II) antiproliferative effects of heparan sulfate and heparin, (III) cell surface heparan sulfate as extracellular matrix receptor and coreceptor, (IV) proteoheparan sulfate in central and peripheral nervous system, (V) role of proteoheparan sulfate in binding and uptake of lipoproteins, (VI) virus and spirochete binding to heparin and heparan sulfate.
Keywords
Proteoheparan sulfate - heparin - inhibition of proliferation - growth factor binding - extracellular matrix receptors