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An integrin chicken and egg problem: which comes first, the extracellular matrix or the cytoskeleton?
1Wellcome/CRC Institute and Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, CB2 1QR, Cambridge, UK. nb117@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|September 9, 2000
Summary
Integrins organize cellular structures. In developing embryos, the cytoskeleton influences integrin-mediated organization of intracellular proteins, even as the extracellular matrix directs integrins.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Integrins are crucial cell surface receptors mediating cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion.
- Integrins play vital roles in organizing macromolecular structures within and outside the cell.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of integrins in organizing intracellular and extracellular structures during embryonic development.
- To determine the interplay between the extracellular matrix, integrins, and the cytoskeleton in directing cellular organization.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of integrin function in developing model organisms (worms and flies).
- Comparative study of extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton influences on integrin activity.
Main Results:
- Integrins organize macromolecular structures both intracellularly and extracellularly.
- In developing worm and fly embryos, the extracellular matrix guides integrins to organize intracellular proteins.
- The cytoskeleton appears to exert a primary influence on integrin-mediated organization.
Conclusions:
- Integrin function is context-dependent, influenced by both extracellular and intracellular cues.
- The cytoskeleton plays a critical, potentially initiating, role in integrin-mediated organization during embryonic development.