Heritable disorders of connective tissue

Abstract

The molecular composition and organization of connective tissue, known as the extracellular matrix, are extraordinarily complex. Much remains unknown about the number, structure, map location, and regulation of genes that control synthesis, organization, and metabolism of this ubiquitous tissue. However, the genes that specify several hundred proteins involved in connective tissue metabolism and skeletal development have been mapped (1). Mutations in the genes for these proteins cause a variety of disorders. The heritable disorders of connective tissue (HDCT) follow Mendel's laws, but like many such disorders, show both considerable variability within and among families and genetic heterogeneity (2,3). © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York.