简介：Versicanbelongstothefamilyofthelargeaggregatingchondroitinsulfateproteoglycanslocatedprimarilywithintheextracellularmatrix(ECM).Versican,likeothermembersofitsfamily,hasuniqueN-andC-terminalglobularregions,eachwithmultiplemotifs.Alargeglycosaminoglycan-bindingregionliesbetweenthem.Thisreviewwillbeginbyoutliningthesestructures,inthecontextofECMproteoglycans.Thediversebindingpartnersaffordedtoversicanbyvirtueofitsmodulardesignwillthenbeexamined.TheseincludeECMcomponents,suchashyaluronan,typeⅠcollagen,tenascin-R,fibulin-1,and-2,fibrillin-1,fibronectin,P-andL-selectins,andchemokines.VersicanalsobindstothecellsurfaceproteinsCD44,integrinβ1,epidermalgrowthfactorreceptor,andP-selectinglycoproteinligand-1.Thesemultipleinteractorsplayimportantrolesincellbehaviour,andtherolesofversicaninmodulatingsuchprocessesarediscussed.