title: Importance of molecular studies on major blood groups--intercellular adhesion molecule-4, a blood group antigen involved in multiple cellular interactions.
abstract: Several blood groups, including the LW-blood group were discovered in the first part of last century, but their biochemical characteristics and cellular functions have only more recently been elucidated. The LW-blood group, renamed ICAM-4 (CD242), is red cell specific and belongs to the intercellular adhesion molecule family. ICAM-4 binds to several integrin receptors on blood and endothelial cells and is thus able to form large cellular complexes containing red cells. Its physiological function(s) has remained incompletely understood, but recent work shows that macrophage integrins can bind red cells through this ligand. In this article we discuss molecular properties of major blood group antigens, describe ICAM-4 in more detail, and show that phagocytosis of senescent red cells is in part ICAM-4/beta(2)-integrin dependent.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 5, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toivanen
authors.forename: Eveliina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ihanus
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Hans U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Carl G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gahmberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules