MD M. Amin Arnaout
Chief, Renal Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University
Charlestown, MA

Monday, February 23, 2004
3:00 pm (CT)
3269 Beckman Institute

Abstract

Integrins are noncovalent αβ heterodimeric cell adhesion receptors that couple extracellular divalent cation- dependent recognition events with intracellular mechanical and biochemical responses and vice versa, thus regulating a large number of dynamic cellular processes such as changes in cell shape, growth, migration and survival. The structural basis of this bidirectional signaling and its dependency on cations has been the focus of intensive study over the past three decades. This presentation will review the recent 3D structure determination of the extracellular segment of integrin αVβ3 in its unliganded and RGD-bound states and relate the observed tertiary and quaternary changes to the cation-dependent signaling in integrins.

Tea and coffee will be served in R3151 Beckman Institute at 2:15pm.