细胞外基质(ECM)包含形成复杂三维网络的大分子。填补细胞间隙,在组织的结构和功能中起着至关重要的作用,ECM调节必要的细胞过程,如粘附,分化,和细胞信号。在人类肾上腺,由被胶囊包围的皮质和髓质组成,ECM尚未直接描述,虽然它对肾上腺皮质增殖和类固醇生成过程的影响是公认的。这项研究分析了成年人肾上腺皮质的ECM,分离为外部馏分(OF)和内部馏分(IF),通过比较它们的蛋白质组学特征。这项研究讨论了组成,空间分布,肾上腺皮质基质的差异表达ECM特征与肾上腺结构和功能的相关性。这些发现通过数据库分析(交叉验证)进行了验证,组织化学,和免疫组织化学方法。总共鉴定了121种ECM蛋白,并将其分类为糖蛋白,胶原蛋白,ECM调节器,蛋白聚糖,ECM相关蛋白,和分泌因子。仅在OF中鉴定了31种ECM蛋白,九只在IF,和81个与两个部分相同。此外,在人类基质DB2.0中报道了106种ECM蛋白,这些蛋白在OF和IF中差异表达,已确定。这项研究为人类肾上腺皮质中ECM的组成和调节提供了重要的见解,释放肾上腺微环境及其在功能中的作用,维护,和肾上腺的更新。
The extracellular matrix (ECM) comprises macromolecules that shape a complex three-dimensional network. Filling the intercellular space and playing a crucial role in the structure and function of tissues, ECM regulates essential cellular processes such as adhesion, differentiation, and cell signaling. In the human adrenal gland, composed of cortex and medulla surrounded by a capsule, the ECM has not yet been directly described, although its impact on the processes of proliferation and steroidogenesis of the adrenal cortex is recognized. This study analyzes the ECM of the adult human adrenal cortex, which was separated into outer fraction (OF) and inner fraction (IF), by comparing their proteomic profiles. The study discusses the composition, spatial distribution, and relevance of differentially expressed ECM signatures of the adrenal cortex
matrisome on adrenal structure and function. The findings were validated through database analysis (cross-validation), histochemical, and immunohistochemical approaches. A total of 121 ECM proteins were identified and categorized into glycoproteins, collagens, ECM regulators, proteoglycans, ECM-affiliated proteins, and secreted factors. Thirty-one ECM proteins were identified only in OF, nine only in IF, and 81 were identified in common with both fractions. Additionally, 106 ECM proteins were reported in the Human
matrisome DB 2.0, and the proteins differentially expressed in OF and IF, were identified. This study provides significant insights into the composition and regulation of the ECM in the human adrenal cortex, shedding light on the adrenal microenvironment and its role in the functioning, maintenance, and renewal of the adrenal gland.