Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

A Flow Cytometry-Based High-Throughput Technique for Screening Integrin-Inhibitory Drugs
Published on: February 2, 2024
Methods for identifying novel integrin ligands
Denise K Marciano1, Sumiko Denda, Louis F Reichardt
1Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that have many important roles in organ development and tissue integrity, functioning to mediate interactions between cells and the ECM. The entire repertoire of integrins is vast, and the specific roles of each are determined by unique integrin-ligand interactions. These interactions allow for dynamic regulation of multiple processes. Despite intense efforts to elucidate individual integrin ligands, existing methods have been limiting. In this chapter, we describe methods developed in our laboratory to identify new integrin ligands that should be useful for characterizing novel integrin functions. These methods are applicable for studies on a variety of integrins, and may be extended to other cell surface receptors as well.
Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that have many important roles in organ development and tissue integrity, functioning to mediate interactions between cells and the ECM. The entire repertoire of integrins is vast, and the specific roles of each are determined by unique integrin-ligand interactions. These interactions allow for dynamic regulation of multiple processes. Despite intense efforts to elucidate individual integrin ligands, existing methods have been limiting. In this chapter, we describe methods developed in our laboratory to identify new integrin ligands that should be useful for characterizing novel integrin functions. These methods are applicable for studies on a variety of integrins, and may be extended to other cell surface receptors as well.
Related Concept Videos
Activation of Integrins
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
Integrins
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
Selectins

