Inside-out integrin signalling.
Integrins are expressed by virtually all cells and play key roles in a range of cellular processes. Changes in the integrin surface repertoire provide a means of altering the strength and ligand preferences of cell adhesion. Recent research has examined the affinity modulation of integrins, a rapid and versatile mechanism of cell adhesion regulation. Studies with a prototype, alpha IIb beta 3, indicate that intracellular events influence the conformation and ligand-binding affinity of the extracellular domain of integrins. This 'inside-out' signal transduction appears to be mediated through the integrin cytoplasmic domains. In addition, in some cases affinity modulation of integrins may be cell-type specific. The clarification of the mechanisms of integrin affinity modulation should help explain rapid changes in cell adhesion that occur during cell migration, aggregation and the cell cycle.
Ginsberg
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MH
Committee on Vascular Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037.
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015398:Signal Transduction
D016023:Integrins