Avidity regulation of integrins: the driving force in leukocyte adhesion

Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2000 Oct;12(5):542-7. doi: 10.1016/s0955-0674(00)00129-0.

Abstract

The activity of integrins on leukocytes is tightly controlled, and their adhesion capacity shifts rapidly when cells emigrate from the blood to the tissues. The leukocyte-specific beta2 integrin LFA-1 (alphaLbeta2) is the most important integrin expressed by leukocytes that regulate lymphocyte migration and the initiation of an immune response through binding to ICAM-1,-2 or-3. The binding activity of LFA-1 is rapidly altered by intracellular stimuli that activate LFA-1. Although alterations in the affinity of LFA-1, which leads to enhanced ICAM-1 binding, have been proposed, evidence is emerging that dynamic reorganisation of LFA-1 into microclusters is the major mechanism that regulates its binding capacity.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion*
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes / cytology
  • Leukocytes / metabolism*
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1