Chondroitin Sulfates in Axon Regeneration and Plasticity

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are large extracellular matrix molecules which are highly upregulated in the glial scar after injury to the nervous system. They are mostly inhibitory and have been shown to hinder regeneration of axons across lesions. The removal of CPSGs with bacterial enzyme chondroitinase ABC improves axonal regeneration. In addition, CSPGs are a major component of perineuronal nets, which control plasticity in the CNS, and their removal enhances structural plasticity resulting in an increase in functional recovery. In this review, we shall discuss the role of CSPGs in axonal regeneration and plasticity after nervous system injury and how recent discoveries of CSPG receptors and interacting partners may shed new insights onto the function of these inhibitory molecules.