Basement membrane

File:Normal breast histology.png of the breast, with basement membrane annotated near center-right.]]

File:Prostate gland microanatomy.png gland microanatomy, with basement membrane annotated at bottom.]]

As seen with the electron microscope, the basement membrane is composed of two layers, the basal lamina and the reticular lamina.{{cite book | vauthors = Tortora G, Derrickson B |title=Principles of anatomy & physiology. |date=2012 |publisher=Wiley |location=Hoboken, NJ |isbn=9780470646083 |pages=117–118 |edition=13th}} The underlying connective tissue attaches to the basal lamina with collagen VII anchoring fibrils and fibrillin microfibrils.{{cite journal | vauthors = Paulsson M | title = Basement membrane proteins: structure, assembly, and cellular interactions | journal = Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | volume = 27 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 93–127 | year = 1992 | pmid = 1309319 | doi = 10.3109/10409239209082560 | url = http://www.crbmb.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/1/93 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013093529/http://www.crbmb.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/1/93 | archive-date = 2007-10-13 }}

The basal lamina layer can further be subdivided into two layers based on their visual appearance in electron microscopy. The lighter-colored layer closer to the epithelium is called the lamina lucida, while the denser-colored layer closer to the connective tissue is called the lamina densa. The electron-dense lamina densa layer is about 30–70 nanometers thick and consists of an underlying network of reticular collagen IV fibrils which average 30 nanometers in diameter and 0.1–2 micrometers in thickness and are coated with the heparan sulfate-rich proteoglycan perlecan.{{cite journal | vauthors = Noonan DM, Fulle A, Valente P, Cai S, Horigan E, Sasaki M, Yamada Y, Hassell JR | display-authors = 6 | title = The complete sequence of perlecan, a basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, reveals extensive similarity with laminin A chain, low density lipoprotein-receptor, and the neural cell adhesion molecule | journal = The Journal of Biological Chemistry | volume = 266 | issue = 34 | pages = 22939–22947 | date = December 1991 | pmid = 1744087 | doi = 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)54445-8 | doi-access = free }} In addition to collagen, this supportive matrix contains intrinsic macromolecular components. The lamina lucida layer is made up of laminin, integrins, entactins, and dystroglycans. Integrins are a key component of hemidesmosomes which serve to anchor the epithelium to the underlying basement membrane.

To represent the above in a visually organised manner, the basement membrane is organized as follows:

• Epithelial/mesothelial/endothelial tissue (outer layer)
• Basement membrane
• Basal lamina
• Lamina lucida
• laminin
• integrins (hemidesmosomes)
• nidogens
• dystroglycans
• Lamina densa
• collagen IV (coated with perlecan, rich in heparan sulfate)
• Attaching proteins (between the basal and reticular laminae)
• collagen VII (anchoring fibrils)
• fibrillin (microfibrils)
• Lamina reticularis
• collagen III (as reticular fibers)
• Connective tissue (Lamina propria)

The primary function of the basement membrane is to anchor down the epithelium to its loose connective tissue (the dermis or lamina propria) underneath. This is achieved by cell-matrix adhesions through substrate adhesion molecules (SAMs).

The basement membrane acts as a mechanical barrier, preventing malignant cells from invading the deeper tissues.{{cite journal | vauthors = Liotta LA, Tryggvason K, Garbisa S, Hart I, Foltz CM, Shafie S | title = Metastatic potential correlates with enzymatic degradation of basement membrane collagen | journal = Nature | volume = 284 | issue = 5751 | pages = 67–68 | date = March 1980 | pmid = 6243750 | doi = 10.1038/284067a0 | s2cid = 4356057 | bibcode = 1980Natur.284...67L }} Early stages of malignancy that are thus limited to the epithelial layer by the basement membrane are called carcinoma in situ.

The basement membrane is also essential for angiogenesis (development of new blood vessels). Basement membrane proteins have been found to accelerate differentiation of endothelial cells.{{cite journal | vauthors = Kubota Y, Kleinman HK, Martin GR, Lawley TJ | title = Role of laminin and basement membrane in the morphological differentiation of human endothelial cells into capillary-like structures | journal = The Journal of Cell Biology | volume = 107 | issue = 4 | pages = 1589–1598 | date = October 1988 | pmid = 3049626 | pmc = 2115245 | doi = 10.1083/jcb.107.4.1589 }}

The most notable examples of basement membranes is the glomerular basement membrane of the kidney, by the fusion of the basal lamina from the endothelium of glomerular capillaries and the podocyte basal lamina,{{cite book | chapter-url=http://www.lib.mcg.edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section7/7ch04/7ch04p07.htm|chapter = Sect. 7, Ch. 4: Basement Membrane | title = Renal Physiology Glomerular Filtration Rate and Renal Blood Flow |date=1 April 2008|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401052629/http://www.lib.mcg.edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section7/7ch04/7ch04p07.htm|archive-date=1 April 2008 | publisher = Medical College of Georgia, Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library }} and between lung alveoli and pulmonary capillaries, by the fusion of the basal lamina of the lung alveoli and of the basal lamina of the lung capillaries, which is where oxygen and {{CO2}} diffusion occurs (gas exchange).

As of 2017, other roles for basement membrane include blood filtration and muscle homeostasis. Fractones may be a type of basement membrane, serving as a niche for stem cells.{{cite journal | vauthors = Mercier F, Kitasako JT, Hatton GI | title = Anatomy of the brain neurogenic zones revisited: fractones and the fibroblast/macrophage network | journal = The Journal of Comparative Neurology | volume = 451 | issue = 2 | pages = 170–188 | date = September 2002 | pmid = 12209835 | doi = 10.1002/cne.10342 | s2cid = 19919800 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Sato Y, Kiyozumi D, Futaki S, Nakano I, Shimono C, Kaneko N, Ikawa M, Okabe M, Sawamoto K, Sekiguchi K | display-authors = 6 | title = Ventricular-subventricular zone fractones are speckled basement membranes that function as a neural stem cell niche | journal = Molecular Biology of the Cell | volume = 30 | issue = 1 | pages = 56–68 | date = January 2019 | pmid = 30379609 | pmc = 6337917 | doi = 10.1091/mbc.E18-05-0286 | veditors = Yamashita Y}}

Some diseases result from a poorly functioning basement membrane. The cause can be genetic defects, injuries by the body's own immune system, or other mechanisms.{{cite news | vauthors = Henig RM |title=What's Wrong With Summer Stiers? |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 22, 2009 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/magazine/22Diseases-t.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109110316/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/magazine/22Diseases-t.html |archive-date=November 9, 2016 }} Diseases involving basement membranes at multiple locations include:

• Genetic defects in the collagen fibers of the basement membrane, including Alport syndrome and Knobloch syndrome
• Autoimmune diseases targeting basement membranes. Non-collagenous domain basement membrane collagen type IV is autoantigen (target antigen) of autoantibodies in the autoimmune disease Goodpasture's syndrome.{{cite book | vauthors = Janeway CA |title=Immunobiology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JatpAAAAMAAJ |year=2001 |publisher=Garland |isbn=978-0-8153-3642-6 |edition=5th}}
• A group of diseases stemming from improper function of basement membrane zone are united under the name epidermolysis bullosa.{{cite journal | vauthors = Bardhan A, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Chapple IL, Fine JD, Harper N, Has C, Magin TM, Marinkovich MP, Marshall JF, McGrath JA, Mellerio JE, Polson R, Heagerty AH | display-authors = 6 | title = Epidermolysis bullosa | journal = Nature Reviews. Disease Primers | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 78 | date = September 2020 | pmid = 32973163 | doi = 10.1038/s41572-020-0210-0 | s2cid = 221861310 }}

In histopathology, thickened basement membranes are found in several inflammatory diseases, such as lichen sclerosus, systemic lupus erythematosus or dermatomyositis in the skin, or collagenous colitis in the colon.{{cite journal | vauthors = LeBoit PE | title = A thickened basement membrane is a clue to...lichen sclerosus! | journal = The American Journal of Dermatopathology | volume = 22 | issue = 5 | pages = 457–458 | date = October 2000 | pmid = 11048985 | doi = 10.1097/00000372-200010000-00014 }}

These are only found within diploblastic and homoscleromorphic sponge animals. The homoscleromorph were found to be sister to diploblasts in some studies, making the membrane originate once in the history of life. But more recent studies have disregarded diploblast-homoscleromorph group, so other sponges may have lost it (most probable) or the origin in the two groups may be separate.

• {{annotated link|Tunica intima}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book| veditors = Kefalides NA, Borel JP |title=Basement membranes: cell and molecular biology|publisher=Gulf Professional Publishing|year=2005|isbn=978-0-12-153356-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RM-FVY47NEgC}}

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Category:Angiology

Category:Tissues (biology)

Category:Histology