Chapter category: Development
The Role of Integrins in Cell Migration
Integrins and Development
Edited by: Erik H.J. DanenISBN: 1-58706-293-3
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «
Chapter authors:
Bernhard Wehrle-Haller
Migration and Motility are essential components of the behavioral repertoire of a cell. During embryogenesis cells move in sheets or loosely attached populations to create complex tissues. In the adult, cell motility is crucial to maintain immunity, or repair damaged tissues. Uncontrolled cell adhesion and increased motility can result in pathological situations such as tumor cell dissemination and the formation of metastasis. Cell migration occurs in response to chemokine or growth factor signals that are converted into cell shape changes, essentially mediated by structural changes of the actin cytoskeleton. Cell displacement is observed when the structural changes and forces created within the actin cytoskeleton are mechanically linked to the surrounding extracellular scaffold. This mechanical link needs to be highly regulated in order to allow the formation of new attachment sites at the cell front and the controlled dissociation of adhesion sites at the cell rear. The understanding of the mechanisms that govern cell migration is therefore critically coupled to the question of how cellular receptors interact with their extracellular environment. Hence, members of the family of integrins have moved into the focus of attention. Integrins are heterodimeric membrane spanning receptors that play crucial roles in cell adhesion and migration.1 This chapter will discuss general as well as specific aspects of how integrins are involved in the orchestration of the migration of individual cells.
Additional chapters from this book:
Integrin Regulation of Mammary Gland Development
Matthew J. Naylor and Charles H. Streuli
The interaction between a cell and its microenvironment is critical in governing cellular function. Integrins, the major family of extracellular matrix receptors, link the matrix with the actin cyto...
Integrins: An Overview of Structural and Functional Aspects
Erik H. J. Danen
Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that mediate cell-adhesion.1 With their extracellular head region, most integrins bind extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins such as laminins a...
The Role of Integrins in Cell Migration
Bernhard Wehrle-Haller
Migration and Motility are essential components of the behavioral repertoire of a cell. During embryogenesis cells move in sheets or loosely attached populations to create complex tissues. In the adul...
Integrins in Urogenital Development
Jordan A. Kreidberg
The urogenital system is a complex system composed of multiple organs, most notably the kidneys and gonads, as well as many other glandular components and connective tissues. This review will concentr...
Cell Adhesion in Nervous System Development:
Claudia S. Barros and Ulrich Müller
Integrins are a family of cell surface receptors that are expressed in many if not all tissues. Integrins mediate interactions with different ligands including extracellular matrix glyco- proteins,...
Insights into Integrin Function in Skeletal Muscle
Lisa K. Rogers and Ulrike Mayer
Skeletal muscle accounts for 40% of the human body and is the major consumer of body fuels. Contraction within muscle fibers by ATP consumption generates the force required for our body movement, bu...
The Role of Integrins in Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis
Andrew R. Reynolds, Kate A. Scott and Kairbaan M. Hodivala-Dilke*
This chapter aims to summarise the current literature regarding the role of integrins in blood vessel growth. Blood vessels arise via vasculogenesis and angiogenesis and we begin by giving a brief i...
Integrins in the Skin
Cord Brakebusch
The skin protects the body of mammalians from mechanical and chemical damage, is a barrier against infections and prevents dehydration. It can be divided into an upper layer, called epidermis, and a...
Roles for Integrins and Associated Proteins in the Haematopoietic System
Alessandra Cambi, Suzanne F.G. van Helden and Carl G. Figdor
The haematopoietic system is a highly dynamic system where cell adhesion and cell migration are tightly controlled. During both embryonic and adult haematopoiesis, the finely orchestrated action of ...
Integrins and Associated Proteins in Drosophila Development
Maithreyi Narasimha and Nicholas H. Brown
We discuss insights into integrin function obtained through phenotypic and structure function analysis of integrins and associated proteins in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. Integrins contri...
Integrins in Skeletal Cell Function and Development
Michael A. Horton and Miep H. Helfrich
Genes for 18 ? and 8 ? integrin subunits have been identified in vertebrates, their protein products associating into 24 different heterodimeric membrane receptors. Skeletal cells – osteoclasts, o...
The Essence of Integrin Signal Transduction:Assembly of Dynamic Scaffolds and Cross-Talk with Other Receptors
Sara Cabodi and Paola Defilippi
Integrin signalling has a critical function in organizing cells in tissues during both embryonic development and tissue repair. Following their binding to the extracellular ligands, the intracellula...
Integrins in Extracellular Matrix Assembly
Roumen Pankov and Katherine Clark
Integrin receptors are used by cells not only to bind, but also to actively organize extracellular matrices. They contribute in the in vivo polymerization of the major matrix constituents – fibron...
C. elegans Integrins
Michel Labouesse and Elisabeth Georges-Labouesse
C. elegans has only one beta integrin chain, called PAT-3, and two alpha integrin chains, called PAT-2 and INA-1. C. elegans integrins are essential for muscle anchoring to the epidermis, cell migra...
