integrin

noun

in·​te·​grin ˈin-tə-grən 

: any of various glycoproteins found on cell surfaces that are involved in the adhesion of cells (such as T cells) to other cells (such as endothelial cells) or to extracellular material (such as fibronectin or laminin) and mediate various biological processes (such as phagocytosis, wound healing, and embryogenesis)

Examples of integrin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo, a biologist at the Institute for Biological Evolution in Barcelona, believes that in these simpler organisms, integrin genes may contribute to the formation of spore sacs. —Douglas Fox, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2012

Next, Lee and his team administered a compound that inactivated integrin alpha-5. —Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, 13 Dec. 2019

In one cartoon, a man holding an integrin with the wrong shape is about to jump out of an airplane. —Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019

In the 1980s Springer discovered integrins, a group of proteins believed to play a role in a variety of serious disorders, from fibrotic diseases to cancer. —Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019

In 2011, Reiser and colleagues reported in Nature Medicine that in cell culture, suPAR damaged human podocytes through the integrin pathway. —Stephen S. Hall, Science | AAAS, 19 Apr. 2018

But his research into a family of proteins known as integrins outgrew the boundaries of his lab. —Brian Gormley, WSJ, 19 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

integr- (from integral membrane protein complex) + -in entry 1

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

integrin

noun

in·​te·​grin ˈin(t)-ə-grən 

: any of various glycoproteins found on cell surfaces that are involved in the adhesion of cells (such as T cells) to other cells (such as endothelial cells) or to extracellular material (such as fibronectin or laminin) and mediate various biological processes (such as phagocytosis, wound healing, and embryogenesis)

Note: Integrins are composed of two dissimilar polypeptide chains (called α and β respectively) that extend through the cell membrane and vary in composition, which can influence their biological activity (such as the specificity of the ligand that they will bind).

Through these 20 or more integrins, the [extracellular] matrix sends cells various signals that regulate what genes are active, ultimately influencing whether cells proliferate, specialize, migrate, or even kill themselves.

—Richard Monastersky, Science News

Early on we understood that integrins consist of two protein chains, or subunits. The subunit designated "alpha" is today known to have about 15 variants, and the "beta" subunit has about eight variants.

—Alan F. Horwitz, Scientific American