Review Article

Roles of Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans in Wound Healing and Fibrosis

Figure 5

Structure, binding domains, and interactions of CD44 (Adapted from [7]). The ectodomain of CD44 contains HA-binding motifs and can contain chondroitin sulfate or heparan sulfate chains that can affect its HA-binding capacity and enable its interactions with growth factors and growth factor receptors, and its interaction with matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains undergo multiple posttranslational modifications, including palmitoylation and phosphorylation on cysteine and serine residues, respectively, promoting the binding of proteins with crucial functions in cytoskeletal organization and signaling. ErbB2: epidermal growth factor receptor-2; ERM: ezrin–radixin–moesin; FGF: fibroblast growth factor; HGF: hepatocyte growth factor; IQGAP1: IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; PDGFR: platelet-derived growth factor receptor; PI3K: phosphoinositide 3-kinase; TGFR: transforming growth factor receptor; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor.