Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Dynamics in Skeletal Disorders
Summary
Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) is a pentameric extracellular matrix glycoprotein that orchestrates collagen fibrillogenesis and maintains cartilage resilience. In healthy growth plates, COMP regulates chondrocyte differentiation and matrix assembly, ensuring orderly endochondral ossification. Mutations or misfolding of COMP provoke endoplasmic reticulum stress and activate the unfolded protein response, disrupting chondrocyte maturation and leading to skeletal dysplasias such as pseudoachondroplasia and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. Beyond genetic disorders, altered COMP expression contributes to tissue fibrosis and joint degeneration in osteoarthritis. Recent mechanistic studies highlight the interplay between COMP, stress signalling pathways and vascular invasion, presenting new avenues for modulating matrix homeostasis and alleviating growth plate abnormalities.
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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Dynamics in Skeletal Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein dynamics in skeletal disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP): A pentameric extracellular matrix glycoprotein critical for collagen fibril assembly and cartilage integrity.
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress: Cellular condition arising from accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins within the ER lumen.
Unfolded Protein Response (UPR): A cellular signalling cascade activated by ER stress to restore protein-folding homeostasis or initiate apoptosis.
Integrated Stress Response (ISR): A coordinated programme integrating signals from ER stress and other pathways to regulate protein synthesis and adaptive gene expression.
Pseudoachondroplasia: A dominantly inherited skeletal dysplasia caused by COMP mutations, characterised by short stature, joint laxity and disordered cartilage matrix.
References
- Curcumin and Resveratrol: Nutraceuticals with so Much Potential for Pseudoachondroplasia and Other ER-Stress Conditions. Biomolecules (2024).
- Inhibiting the integrated stress response pathway prevents aberrant chondrocyte differentiation thereby alleviating chondrodysplasia. eLife (2018).
- Targeted Induction of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induces Cartilage Pathology. PLOS Genetics (2009).
- COMP Acts as a Catalyst in Collagen Fibrillogenesis*. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2007).
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