Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:27
Dynamic Adhesion Assay for the Functional Analysis of Anti-adhesion Therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Published on: September 20, 2018
Integrin inactivators: balancing cellular functions in vitro and in vivo
Daniel Bouvard1, Jeroen Pouwels, Nicola De Franceschi
1Équipe 04-Chromatine et épigenetique, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 09, France.
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|May 31, 2013
Summary
Integrins are key cell adhesion proteins. Their function is finely tuned by a balance between activating and inactivating proteins, crucial for cell signaling and cytoskeleton linkage.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Integrins mediate crucial cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions, integrating extracellular signals with intracellular pathways.
- Integrin activity is regulated by intracellular proteins that modulate ligand binding affinity.
- While integrin activation is vital for cell adhesion and cytoskeletal linkage, inactivation also plays a critical role.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the regulatory mechanisms of integrin function.
- To highlight the importance of both integrin activation and inactivation.
- To emphasize the balanced regulation of integrin-ligand interactions.
Main Methods:
- This study reviews existing literature on integrin regulation.
- Analysis of protein-integrin interactions.
- In vitro and in vivo functional assays were examined.
Main Results:
- Intracellular proteins dynamically regulate integrin activity by switching their binding affinity.
- Both integrin-activating and -inactivating proteins are essential for proper cell adhesion and signaling.
- Integrin function relies on a precise balance between activation and inactivation processes.
Conclusions:
- Integrin function is a complex, balanced process involving both activation and inactivation.
- Understanding this balance is critical for comprehending cell adhesion, signaling, and cytoskeletal dynamics.
- Further research into integrin inactivation mechanisms is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Activation of Integrins
Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
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.
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.
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
01:10Integrins
Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
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,...
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,...
01:12Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
01:58X-Inactivation
The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.