Leukocyte adhesion involves the leukocyte-specific integrins CD11a/CD18, CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18, which bind to intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM). Three ICAM have been described, and are expressed on leukocytes and various other cells, but are absent from red cells. Here, we show that the red cell Landsteiner-Wiener (LW) blood group glycoprotein is an ICAM which binds to the leukocyte-specific integrins. This finding has important implications in red cell physiology.
Leukocyte adhesion involves at least three molecular families of adhesion proteins: the leukocyte integrins CD11/CD18, the intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) and the carbohydrate-binding L-, E- and P-selectins. The intercellular adhesion molecules are well-known ligands for the CD11/CD18 integrins. We now show that E-selectin specifically binds to the sialyl Lex carbohydrate epitopes of leukocyte integrins. Thus, the different families of leukocyte adhesion molecules form an integrated adhesion network.
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