Integrin beta-7 is an integrin protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ITGB7'' gene. It can pair with ITGA4 (CD49d) to form the

heterodimer In biochemistry, a protein dimer is a macromolecular complex formed by two protein monomers, or single proteins, which are usually non-covalently bound. Many macromolecules, such as proteins or nucleic acids, form dimers. The word ''dimer'' has ...

ic integrin receptor αβ, or with ITGAE (CD103) to form αβ.

Structure

Like all integrin subunits, β is a highly flexible, membrane-bound, extracellular protein that must pair with an α subunit for stability. The molecule's flexibility allows it to dynamically regulate its affinity for ligand through conformational changes. Beginning with the apical end of the protein, farthest from the cell membrane, the β is composed of a head and upper legs, collectively known as the headpiece, lower legs, a transmembrane domain and a

cytoplasmic In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. Th ...

tail. The top of the head is the I-like domain, sometimes called the βI domain, which, in combination with the α subunit, binds ligand. Just below this is the hybrid domain, a portion of which is

N-terminal The N-terminus (also known as the amino-terminus, NH2-terminus, N-terminal end or amine-terminus) is the start of a protein or polypeptide, referring to the free amine group (-NH2) located at the end of a polypeptide. Within a peptide, the ami ...

to the I-like domain. Below the hybrid domain is the PSI domain, which completes the headpiece. The lower legs consist of EGF domains 1-4 and the β tail domain. Finally there is a transmembrane domain, and the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail.

Structure

Interactions

References

Further reading

External links