| Modification Notes |
Elastic fibers endow loose connective tissue with a resilience that complements the tensile strength of collagenous fibers. They are composed of the protein elastin and a network of 10-12 nm microfibrils, which contain several glycoproteins, including fibrillin-1, fibrillin-2, and the microfibril-associated glycoproteins MAGP-1 and MAGP-2. During elastogenesis, MAGP-1 and MAGP-2 bind the fibrillins to tropoelastin in the extracellular matrix of several elastic and non-elastic tissues. MAGP-1 is an O-Glycosylated protein secreted to the extracellular space and the extracellular matrix. MAGP-1 associates with Biglycan and elastin in a ternary complex. It can make intermolecular disulfide bonds with other MAGP-1 molecules or with other microfibril components and may form transglutaminase cross-links. Underexpression and overexpression of the Zebrafish homolog of MAGP-1 (Magp-1) protein levels demonstrate the critical role of MAGP-1 in vascular development. |