Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4, also known as melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (MCSP) or neuron-glial antigen 2 (NG2), is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan that in humans is encoded by the CSPG4gene.[5][6][7]
Function
CSPG4 plays a role in stabilizing cell-substratum interactions during early events of melanoma cell spreading on endothelialbasement membranes. It represents an integral membrane chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan expressed by human malignant melanoma cells.[7]
Implications in disease
CSPG4/NG2 is also a hallmark protein of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs)[8] and OPC dysfunction has been implicated as a candidate pathophysiological mechanism of familial schizophrenia.[9] A research group investigating the role of genetics in schizophrenia, reported, two rare missense mutations in CSPG4 gene, segregating within families (CSPG4A131T and CSPG4V901G mutations). The researchers also demonstrate that the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived OPCs from CSPG4A131T mutation carriers exhibited abnormal post-translational processing, subcellular localization of the mutant NG2 protein, aberrant cellular morphology, and a decreased cell viability and myelination potential. In vivodiffusion tensor imaging of the brain of CSPG4A131T mutation carriers demonstrated a reduced white matter integrity compared to the unaffected sibling and matched general population controls.[10]
^Luo W, Wang X, Kageshita T, Wakasugi S, Karpf AR, Ferrone S (May 2006). "Regulation of high molecular weight-melanoma associated antigen (HMW-MAA) gene expression by promoter DNA methylation in human melanoma cells". Oncogene. 25 (20): 2873–84. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1209319. PMID16407841. S2CID39073910.
Staub E, Hinzmann B, Rosenthal A (September 2002). "A novel repeat in the melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan defines a new protein family". FEBS Letters. 527 (1–3): 114–8. doi:10.1016/S0014-5793(02)03195-2. PMID12220645. S2CID43541248.
Petrini S, Tessa A, Stallcup WB, Sabatelli P, Pescatori M, Giusti B, Carrozzo R, Verardo M, Bergamin N, Columbaro M, Bernardini C, Merlini L, Pepe G, Bonaldo P, Bertini E (November 2005). "Altered expression of the MCSP/NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in collagen VI deficiency". Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences. 30 (3): 408–17. doi:10.1016/j.mcn.2005.08.005. PMID16169245. S2CID36610297.
Brekke C, Lundervold A, Enger PØ, Brekken C, Stålsett E, Pedersen TB, Haraldseth O, Krüger PG, Bjerkvig R, Chekenya M (February 2006). "NG2 expression regulates vascular morphology and function in human brain tumours". NeuroImage. 29 (3): 965–76. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.08.026. hdl:1956/2370. PMID16253523. S2CID42026544.