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The differentiation and morphogenesis of neural tissues involves a diversity of interactions between neural cells and their environment. Many potentially important interactions occur with the extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex association of extracellular glycoproteins organized into aggregates and polymers. In this article, we discuss recent findings on neuronal interactions with the ECM and their roles in neural cell migration and neurite growth. First, we examine the expression and putative functions of the molecules of the neural ECM. Second, we discuss cell surface molecules that mediate neural interactions with ECM components. Last, we address proteoglycans (PGs), a diverse class of glycoproteins, present both as ECM components and as cell surface molecules, which may mediate neural interactions with their environment.

The best-understood cellular interactions with the ECM are adhesive, mediated by …