Self-Assembly and Interaction between Components

Self-assembly processes are usually invoked to explain the deposition of collagenous matrices, since they form outside the cell. Self-assembly in the stroma is based on the ability of interstitial collagen types I—III to 

Collagen IV has been found to bind to both laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan, whereas laminin binds both the nidogen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. These observations suggest that multiple interactions of a specific nature could be important in determining both the composition and the deposition of basement membranes. 

Collagen IV binds about an equal amount of laminin (Woodley et al., 

Both the large and small forms of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans bind to laminin and to collagen IV (Woodley et al., 1983 Fujiwara et al., 

Supplementation of the extract with collagen IV leads to the rapid assembly of certain components in the extract into a solid gel composed of an interconnected network of lamellar structures resembling basement membranes (Kleinman et al., 1986). The major components of the gel 

---