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Integrin

Integrins are heterodimers formed by two subunits, an alpha chain and a beta chain. There are 17 INTEGRIN-ALPHA chains and 8 INTEGRIN-BETA chains. The association of an INTEGRIN-ALPHA chain and INTEGRIN-BETA chain leads to 25 different integrins.

Adhesion of T lymphocytes to extracellular matrix and/or other cells is essential in both their activation and migration. Among the cell surface molecules involved in adhesion functions, integrins mediates both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The integrin family has been divided into three main subfamilies according to the β chain.

Three main subfamilies:

Reference:
[1] Poul, M. A. et al. (1995) Mol. Immunol. 2, 101-116. PMID: 7532786
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