AGGRECAN

aggrecan: translation

The major structural proteoglycan of cartilage. It is a very large and complex macromolecule, comprising a core protein of 210 kD to which are linked around 100 chondroitin sulphate chains and several keratan sulphate chains as well as O- and N-linked oligosaccharide chains. It binds to a link protein (around 40 kD) and to hyaluronic acid forming large aggregates, hence its name.