The many and varied cell types of all living organisms use proteins to maintain their shape, to adhere to substrates, in their contacts with neighbouring cells, in their internal organization and to generate the forces needed for movement. There has been an explosion of knowledge about the structure, function and distribution of these proteins and new ones are being discovered all the time. This work is a compendium of the proteins found in the extracellular matrix and those known to be involved in cell-cell contact and adhesion. Organized alphabetically, it summarizes the essential features of these proteins, giving key references and drawing together information from a widely-scattered literature. The introductory chapters provide overviews, and each entry a quick way to learn the essentials of each protein supported by key references for in-depth learning.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Extracellular matrix proteins: proteoglycans - aggrecan, agrin, biblycan (BGN), bone bialoparotein (BSP), cartilage matrix protein (CMP), cat-301 proteoglycan, CD44, cholinesterases, collagens, decorin (DCN), elastin, fibrinogen/fibrin, fibroglycan, fibromodulin, fibronectins, fibulin, glypican, HB-GAM, hyaluronan and hyalyronan binding, J1 glycoproteins, laminin, laminin binding proteins (LBP, CBP 35), link protein, mucins, nidogen/entactin, osteopontin/secreted phosphoprotein, perlecan, plasminogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-2), proteins containing Ca2+-dependent carbohydrate, restrictin, serglycin, SPARC/osteonectin, syndecan, tenascin, thrombospondin, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), versican, vitronectin, von Willebrand factor. Part 2 Cell adhesion and cell-cell contact proteins: introduction - AMOG, cadherins, CD2, CD4, CD8, C-CAM (cell-CAM 105), cell surface galactosyltransferase, connexins, desmocollin, desmoglein, fasciclin I, fasciclin II, fasciclin III, F11, GPIb-IX complex, integrins, intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), L1, leukocyte common antigen protein tyrosine, LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18), LFA-3 (CD58), mannose binding proteins (MBP), MUC18, myelin-associated glycoproteins (MAG), neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), neurofascin, neuroglian, neurotactin, PECAM-1 (CD31), PH-20 protein, selectins, TAG-1, VCAM-1.