Heparan sulfate modulates Slit3-induced endothelial cell migration.

Heparan sulfate is a long, linear polysaccharide with sulfation modifications and belongs to the glycosaminoglycan family. Our recent studies elucidated that the axon guidance molecule Slit3 is a new heparan sulfate-binding protein and a novel angiogenic factor by interacting with its cognate receptor Robo4, which is specifically expressed in endothelial cells. Here we describe using heparan sulfate-deficient mouse endothelial cells to determine the co-reception function of heparan sulfate in Slit3-induced endothelial cell migration in a Boyden chamber trans-well migration assay.