title: Apoptosis: conserved roles for integrins in clearance.
abstract: A recent study shows that one of the two known Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of the mammalian integrin alpha subunit plays an essential role in the clearance of apoptotic cells - efferocytosis - during nematode development. These new findings reveal that integrins have evolutionarily conserved functions in efferocytosis in metazoans.
authors.affiliation: UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Veera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'mello
authors.forename: Raymond B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Birge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016023:Integrins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains; D016023:Integrins