Adhesive glycoproteins: Laminin

Laminin is an adhesive glycoprotein that is found mainly in the basal lamina, a thin sheet of specialized loose connective tissue which underlies epithelial cells, separating them from connective tissues. The basal lamina is a structural support and a permeability barrier. All forms of basal lamina contain type IV collagen, proteoglycans, laminins, and other accessory glycoproteins. Cells can alter the properties of the basal lamina by secreting enzymes that catalyze changes in the lamina.