Integrins and their potential roles in mammalian pregnancy

作者：Gregory A. Johnson, Robert C. Burghardt, Fuller W. Bazer, Heewon Seo, Joe W Cain · 发表于：Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1186/s40104-023-00918-0 · 被引用次数：63 · 研究领域：Cell Adhesion Molecules Research、Reproductive System and Pregnancy、Blood Coagulation and Thrombosis Mechanisms

Integrins are a highly complex family of receptors that, when expressed on the surface of cells, can mediate reciprocal cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions leading to assembly of integrin adhesion complexes (IACs) that initiate many signaling functions both at the membrane and deeper within the cytoplasm to coordinate processes including cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, survival, differentiation, and metabolism. All metazoan organisms possess integrins, and it is generally agreed that integrins were associated with the evolution of multicellularity, being essential for the association of cells with their neighbors and surroundings, during embryonic development and many aspects of cellular and molecular biology. Integrins have important roles in many aspects of embryonic development, normal physiology, and disease processes with a multitude of functions discovered and elucidated for integrins that directly influence many areas of biology and medicine, including mammalian pregnancy, in particular implantation of the blastocyst to the uterine wall, subsequent placentation and conceptus (embryo/fetus and associated placental membranes) development. This review provides a succinct overview of integrin structure, ligand binding, and signaling followed with a concise overview of embryonic development, implantation, and early placentation in pigs, sheep, humans, and mice as an example for rodents. A brief timeline of the initial localization of in...