The evolution of metazoan extracellular matrix

The modular domain structure of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and their genes has allowed extensive exon/domain shuffling during evolution to generate hundreds of ECM proteins. Many of these arose early during metazoan evolution and have been highly conserved ever since. Others have undergone duplication and divergence during evolution, and novel combinations of domains have evolved to generate new ECM proteins, particularly in the vertebrate lineage. The recent sequencing of several genomes has revealed many details of this conservation and evolution of ECM proteins to serve diverse functions in metazoa.