shower stalls & bases
diverse roles of integrin receptors in articular cartilage
p integrins are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins made up of a and subunits . at least 18 a and 8 subunit genes have been described in mammals . integrin family members are plasma membrane receptors involved in cell adhesion and active as intra and extracellular signalling molecules in a variety of processes including embryogenesis hemostasis tissue repair immune response and metastatic spread of tumor cells . integrin beta 1 1 integrin the protein encoded by the itgb1 gene also known as cd29 and vlab is a multi functional protein involved in cell matrix adhesion cell signalling cellular defense cell adhesion protein binding protein heterodimerization and receptor mediated activity . it is highly expressed in the human body 17.4 times higher than the average gene in the last updated revision of the human genome . the extracellular matrix ecm of articular cartilage is a unique environment . interactions between chondrocytes and the ecm regulate many biological processes important to homeostasis and repair of articular cartilage including cell attachment growth differentiation and survival . the 1 integrin family of cell surface receptors appears to play a major role in mediating cell matrix interactions that are important in regulating these fundamental processes . chondrocyte mechanoreceptors have been proposed to incorporate 1 integrins and mechanosensitive ion channels which link with key ecm cytoskeletal and signalling proteins to maintain the chondrocyte phenotype prevent chondrocyte apoptosis and regulate chondrocyte specific gene expression .