Leukocyte arrest: Biomechanics and molecular mechanisms of β2 integrin activation

Zhichao Fan1, Klaus Ley1,2

  • 1Division of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Biorheology
|December 20, 2015
PubMed

Integrins are a group of heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that play essential roles in cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction. Integrins are important in many physiological processes and diseases. Integrins acquire affinity to their ligand by undergoing molecular conformational changes called activation. Here we review the molecular biomechanics during conformational changes of integrins, integrin functions in leukocyte biorheology (adhesive functions during rolling and arrest) and molecules involved in integrin activation.

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