Integriners

Integriners are a class of proteins that belong to the integrin family, which are heterodimeric transmembrane glycoproteins. They play a crucial role in cell adhesion, migration, and signaling. Integriners are composed of an alpha (α) and a beta (β) subunit, each of which is a single-pass transmembrane protein. The α subunit is non-covalently associated with the β subunit, which contains the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains.

Integriners are involved in various biological processes, including cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM), cell-cell adhesion, and cell migration. They mediate these processes by interacting with specific ligands on the ECM or on the surface of neighboring cells. The interaction between integriners and their ligands triggers intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival.

Integriners are classified into several subfamilies based on their β subunits. The most well-known subfamily is the β1 integrin subfamily, which includes integrins such as α1β1, α2β1, and αVβ1. These integrins are involved in the adhesion of cells to the ECM and are crucial for processes such as wound healing and angiogenesis.

Integriners are also involved in immune responses. For example, the α4β1 integrin is expressed on the surface of T cells and plays a role in T cell activation and migration. The α4β7 integrin is expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells and plays a role in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Integriners are potential targets for therapeutic intervention in various diseases. For example, inhibiting integrin-mediated adhesion has been shown to be effective in preventing metastasis in cancer. Additionally, integrin-targeted therapies are being developed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders.