The alpha 6 beta 1 integrin is a laminin receptor for developing retinal neurons.
Cultured embryionic day 6 (E6) retinal neurons respond to laminin by making use of integrin receptors. We have recently shown that the laminin binding integrin receptor alpha 6 beta 1 is expressed in the chick retina on both retinal ganglion cells and other retinal neurons. Antibodies raised against a fusion protein containing a large fragment of the extracellular portion of the chick alpha 6 integrin subunit dramatically inhibit the interactions between E6 retinal neurons and laminin. These data show that alpha 6 beta 1 functions as a laminin receptor in these cells. In previous work we have also shown that the levels of the mRNA for alpha 6 decreases dramatically in retinal ganglion cells between E6 and E12. Data presented in this paper show that the decrease in alpha 6 mRNA is not prevented by ablation of the optic tectum, indicating that contact with the target is not a major cause for this decrease.
de Curtis
I
I
Department of Biology and Technology, H.S. Raffaele Institute, Milano, Italy.
D000818:Animals; D001709:Biotechnology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D016023:Integrins / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017474:Receptors, Laminin / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D016023:Integrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017474:Receptors, Laminin