Help with GAGs and protein complexes?

Question

If you're not familiar with it already, GAG stands for glycosaminoglycan. I have tried googling and looking answers up in textbooks availiable, but the answer eludes me.

1) What is the complex between GAGs and protein called?

2) What are two biological roles for GAG-protein complexes?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

1.glycosoaminoglycans (GAGs) are often covalently attached to proteins to form proteolglycans.

2.Proteoglycans are a major component of the animal extracellular matrix, the "filler" substance existing between cells in an organism. Here they form large complexes, both to other proteoglycans, to hyaluronan and to fibrous matrix proteins (such as collagen). They are also involved in binding cations (such as sodium, potassium and calcium) and water, and also regulating the movement of molecules through the matrix.

http://employees.csbsju.edu/hjakubowski/...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proteoglyca...