title: Collagen-binding I domain integrins--what do they do?
abstract: Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the mammalian body and it is well recognized that collagens fulfill an important structural role in the extracellular matrix in a number of tissues. Inactivation of the collagen alpha 1(I) gene in mice results in embryonic lethality and collagen mutations in humans cause defects leading to disease. Integrins constitute a major group of receptors for extracellular matrix components, including collagens. Currently four collagen-binding I domain-containing integrins are known, namely alpha 1 beta 1, alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 10 beta 1 and alpha 11 beta 1. Unlike the undisputed role of collagens as structural elements, the biological importance of integrin mediated cell-collagen interactions is far from clear. This is in part due to the limited information available on the most recent additions of the integrin family, alpha 10 beta 1 and alpha 11 beta 1. Future studies using gene inactivation of individual and multiple integrin genes will allow testing of the hypothesis that collagen-binding integrins have redundant functions but will also shed light on their importance in pathological conditions. In this review we will describe what is currently known about the collagen-binding integrins and discuss their biological functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Box 582, Uppsala University, S-75123 Uppsala, Sweden. donald.gullberg@imbim.uu.se
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gullberg
authors.forename: Evy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lundgren-Akerlund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains; D039222:Integrin alpha1beta1; D016023:Integrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021122:Protein Subunits; D038981:Receptors, Collagen; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; C121535:ITGA11 protein, human; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains; D039222:Integrin alpha1beta1; D016023:Integrins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D038981:Receptors, Collagen; C406210:integrin alpha 10; D003094:Collagen