Protein Domain : Laminin G domain IPR001791

Type	Domain
Description	Laminins are large heterotrimeric glycoproteins involved in basement membrane function [ ]. The Laminin G or LNS domain (for Laminin-alpha, Neurexin and Sex hormone-binding globulin) is an around 180 amino acid long domain found in a large and diverse set of extracellular proteins [, ]. The laminin globular (G) domain can be found in one to several copies in various laminin family members, including a large number of extracellular proteins. The C terminus of the laminin alpha chain contains a tandem repeat of five laminin G domains, which are critical for heparin-binding and cell attachment activity []. Laminin alpha4 is distributed in a variety of tissues including peripheral nerves, dorsal root ganglion, skeletal muscle and capillaries; in the neuromuscular junction, it is required for synaptic specialisation []. The structure of the laminin-G domain has been predicted to resemble that of pentraxin [].Laminin G domains can vary in their function, and a variety of binding functions have been ascribed to different LamG modules. For example, the laminin alpha1 and alpha2 chains each have five C-teminal laminin G domains, where only domains LG4 and LG5 contain binding sites for heparin, sulphatides and the cell surface receptor dystroglycan [ ]. Laminin G-containing proteins appear to have a wide variety of roles in cell adhesion, signalling, migration, assembly and differentiation. Proteins with laminin-G domains include:Laminin.Merosin.Agrin.Neurexins.Vitamin K dependent protein S.Sex steroid binding protein SBP/SHBG.Drosophila proteins Slit, Crumbs, Fat.several proteoglycan precursors.
Short Name	Laminin_G