title: Structure and function of the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3.
abstract: The platelet integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3) is required for platelet aggregation. Like other integrins, alpha(IIb)beta(3) resides on cell surfaces in an equilibrium between inactive and active conformations. Recent experiments suggest that the shift between these conformations involves a global reorganization of the alpha(IIb)beta(3) molecule and disruption of constraints imposed by the heteromeric association of the alpha(IIb) and beta(3) transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. The biochemical, biophysical, and ultrastructural results that support this conclusion are discussed in this Review.
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA. bennetts@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Joel S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex