ITGB6
Description
The ITGB6 (integrin subunit beta 6) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 2.
ITGB6 is a human gene encoding the β6 subunit of the integrin αvβ6, a crucial component of the cell membrane that connects the external and internal environments. Integrins bind to specific proteins outside the cell and transmit signals inside to influence cellular behavior. The β6 subunit exclusively pairs with the αv subunit, making ITGB6's function entirely dependent on the αvβ6 integrin. ITGB6 was identified in the early 1990s in guinea pig cells and subsequently located on human chromosome 2. Extensive research has been conducted to understand the regions within the ITGB6 gene that regulate its expression.
ITGB6, along with its partner subunit ITGAV, forms the integrin alpha-V:beta-6 (ITGAV:ITGB6) complex. This complex acts as a receptor for fibronectin and cytotactin, recognizing the R-G-D sequence in its ligands. Internalization of ITGAV:ITGB6 through clathrin-mediated endocytosis promotes carcinoma cell invasion. ITGAV:ITGB6 also functions as a receptor for fibrillin-1 (FBN1), mediating R-G-D-dependent cell adhesion to FBN1. Notably, ITGAV:ITGB6 plays a crucial role in activating transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta-1) by mediating its R-G-D-dependent release from Latency-associated peptide (LAP).
ITGB6 is also known as AI1H.
