integrin
noun
in·te·grin
| \ ˈin-tə-grən
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Definition of integrin
: 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
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, "Executive draws on his career experience (literally, for cartoons)," 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, "What's your risk of kidney disease, heart attack, or diabetes? A single molecule can tell," 19 Apr. 2018 But his research into a family of proteins known as integrins outgrew the boundaries of his lab. — Brian Gormley, WSJ, "Biotech Entrepreneur Timothy Springer Has Another Act," 19 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'integrin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for integrin
integrin
noun
in·te·grin
| \ ˈin(t)-ə-grən
\
\
Medical Definition of integrin
: 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, 30 Aug. 1997 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, May 1997