Fibronectin: structure and possible functions-a review

Aim and objective: The purpose of this review is to illustrate the structure and possible functions of fibronectin.
Background: Fibronectin (FN) is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein that plays vital roles during tissue repair. Fibronectin (FN) mediates a wide variety of cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and plays important roles in cell adhesion, migration, growth and differentiation. FN is widely expressed by multiple cell types and is critically important in vertebrate development, as demonstrated by the early embryonic lethality of mice with targeted inactivation of the FN gene. Although FN has been studied for more than two decades, this remarkably complex molecule is still the subject of exciting discoveries, such as finding new integrin and heparin-binding sites or even a new form of the molecule