α6β1 Integrin and laminin E8: An increasingly complex simple story

Evidence that Distinct States of the Integrin α6β1 Interact with Laminin and an ADAM

Integrins can exist in different functional states with low or high binding capacity for particular ligands. We previously provided evidence that the integrin alpha6beta1, on mouse eggs and on alpha6-transfected cells, interacted with the disintegrin domain of the sperm surface protein ADAM 2 (fertilin beta). In the present study we tested the hypothesis that different states of alpha6beta1 int...

Mechanistic basis for the recognition of laminin-511 by α6β1 integrin

Laminins regulate diverse cellular functions through interaction with integrins. Two regions of laminins-three laminin globular domains of the α chain (LG1-3) and the carboxyl-terminal tail of the γ chain (γ-tail)-are required for integrin binding, but it remains unclear how the γ-tail contributes to the binding. We determined the crystal structure of the integrin binding fragment of laminin-51...

An increasingly complex code.

Heterocellular Contacts with Mouse Brain Endothelial Cells Via Laminin and α6β1 Integrin Sustain Subventricular Zone (SVZ) Stem/Progenitor Cells Properties

Neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) is regulated by diffusible factors and cell-cell contacts. In vivo, SVZ stem cells are associated with the abluminal surface of blood vessels and such interactions are thought to regulate their neurogenic capacity. SVZ neural stem cells (NSCs) have been described to contact endothelial-derived laminin via α6β1 integrin. To elucidate whether heteroce...

A Simple Molecule With a Complex Story

The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized the great contributions of Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro, and Ferid Murad through “their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.” Furchgott’s earlier work describing a vasodilatory factor that was activated by acetylcholine acting on an intact endothelium not only set the stage for subs...