Structure and mechanics of integrin-based cell adhesion

Abstract

Summary of Recent AdvancesIntegrins are α/β heterodimeric adhesion glycoprotein receptors that regulate a wide variety of dynamic cellular processes such as cell migration, phagocytosis and growth and development. X-ray crystallography of the integrin ectodomain revealed its modular architecture and defined its metaldependent interaction with extracellular ligands. This interaction is regulated from inside the cell (inside-out activation), through the short cytoplasmic α and β integrin tails, which also mediate biochemical and mechanical signals transmitted to the cytoskeleton by the ligand-occupied integrins, which effect major changes in cell shape, behavior and fate. Recent advances in the structural elucidation of integrins and integrin binding cytoskeleton proteins are the subject of this review.

Activation of focal adhesion kinase and JNK contributes to the extracellular matrix and cAMP-GEF mediated survival from bile acid induced apoptosis in rat hepatocytes

“…Integrins are heterodimeric cell surface proteins composed of unique α and β subunits that selectively bind to the ECM (12). Integrins serve as transmembrane linkers between their ECM ligands and the intracellular actin cytoskeleton.…”

The Ectocarpus genome and the independent evolution of multicellularity in brown algae

“…For example there are several additional membrane-localized proteins of interest, including three integrinrelated proteins. Integrins have an important role in cell adhesion in animals 20 but integrin genes are absent from all the previously sequenced stramenopile genomes. The Ectocarpus genome also encodes a large number of ion channels, compared to other stramenopile genomes.…”

N-Glycosylation of the I-like Domain of β1 Integrin Is Essential for β1 Integrin Expression and Biological Function

“…Among the integrin superfamily, ␤1 integrin can combine with 12 distinct ␣ subunits (␣1-11, ␣v) to form heterodimers, thereby acquiring a wide variety of ligand specificity (1,4). Integrins are thought to be regulated by inside-out signaling mechanisms that provoke conformational changes, which modulate the affinity of integrin for the ligand (5). However, an increasing body of evidence suggests that cell-surface carbohydrates mediate a variety of interactions between integrin and its extracellular environment, thereby affecting integrin activity and possibly tumor metastasis as well (6 -8).…”