Leukocyte integrins: structure, function and regulation of their activity.
Adhesion is a crucial requirement for the correct regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. In the immune system, leukocytes can interact with each other and with vascular endothelium as well as with extracellular matrix components, changing rapidly and transiently from circulating non-adherent to adherent states. Most of these interactions are mediated by integrins. This review will focus mainly on the structure and function of integrins expressed by leukocytes. The mechanisms for regulating the functional activity of these adhesion receptors, as well as the intracellular signals transduced through integrins, are described.
Sánchez-Madrid
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Servicios de Immunología, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Corbí
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D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
D016023:Integrins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C052131:extracellular matrix receptor