Splice variants of human beta 1 integrins: origin, biosynthesis and functions.

Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, S-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden. Annika.Armulik@cmb.ki.se

The integrin beta1 subfamily of adhesion receptors consists of 12 members and forms the biggest subfamily among integrins. Human integrin subunit beta1 has five cytoplasmic splice variants (beta1A, beta1B, beta1C-1, beta1-C2, beta1D). Even though cytoplasmic splice variants do not change the ligand-specificity of a beta1 integrin, clustering of these different splice variants triggers signaling pathways that lead to a different cellular response. The main focus of this review is on the origin and specific functions of the less abundant human integrin beta1 splice variants (B, C-1, C-2, D).

PMID: 11779688 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]