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- ***********************************
- * Integrins alpha chain signature *
- ***********************************
-
- Integrins [1,2] are a large family of cell surface receptors that mediate cell
- to cell as well as cell to matrix adhesion. Integrins recognize the R-G-D
- sequence in their extracellular matrix protein ligand. Structurally, integrins
- consist of a dimer of an alpha and a beta chain. Each subunit has a large
- N-terminal extracellular domain followed by a transmembrane domain and a short
- C-terminal cytoplasmic region. Some alpha subunits are cleaved post-
- translationally to produce a heavy and a light chain linked by a disulfide
- bond. The sequence of a number of alpha chains has been obtained and are
- listed below:
-
- - The alpha-1 chain (VLA-1) (CD49a) which, with the beta-1 chain, acts as a
- receptor for laminin and collagen.
- - The alpha-2 chain (VLA-2) (CD49b) which, with the beta-1 chain, acts as a
- receptor that binds collagen.
- - The alpha-3 chain (VLA-3) (Galactoprotein B3).
- - The alpha-4 chain (VLA-4) (CD49d) which, with the beta-1 chain, interacts
- with vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1).
- - The alpha-5 chain (VLA-5) (CD49e) which, with the beta-1 chain, forms a
- receptor specific to fibronectin.
- - The alpha-6 chain (VLA-6) which, with the beta-1 chain, forms a platelet
- laminin receptor.
- - The alpha-8 chain which, with the beta-1 chain plays a possible role in
- cell-cell interactions during axon-growth and fasciculation.
- - The alpha-L chain (LFA-1) (CD11a) which, with the beta-2 chain, interacts
- with intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1).
- - The alpha-M chain (MAC-1) (CD11b) which, with the beta-2 chain, forms the
- receptor for the iC3b fragment of the third complement component.
- - The alpha-X chain (p150,95) (CD11c) which, with the beta-2 chain, probably
- forms a receptor for the iC3b fragment of the third complement component.
- - The alpha-V chain (CD51) which, with the beta-3 chain, forms a receptor
- that binds vitronectin.
- - The alpha-IIB chain (CD41) (also known as platelet glycoprotein IIb) which,
- with the beta-3 chain, forms a receptor which binds VWF, fibrinogen,
- fibronectin, and vitronectin.
- - The Drosophila position-specific antigen 2 alpha chain (PS2).
- - Caenorhabditis elegans hypothetical proteins F54F2.1 and F54G8.3.
-
- All these integrin alpha chains share a conserved sequence which is found at
- the beginning of the cytoplasmic domain, just after the end of the
- transmembrane region. We have used this conserved region as a signature
- pattern.
-
- -Consensus pattern: [FYWS]-[RK]-x-G-F-F-x-R
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
-
- -Note: in position 7 of the pattern all vertebrate integrins have Lys, while
- Drosophila PS2 has Asn.
-
- -Last update: June 1994 / Pattern and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Hynes R.O.
- Cell 48:549-554(1987).
- [ 2] Albelda S.M., Buck C.A.
- FASEB J. 4:2868-2880(1990).
-