INTEGRATORS OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION - DISTINCT FUNCTIONS FOR BETA-1 AND BETA-4 INTEGRINS

Mammalian epithelia are critically dependent on interactions with comp onents in the underlying basal lamina for proper morphogenesis and fun ction. Substratum attachment is essential for survival, proliferation, movement, and differentiation; detachment compromises the cell's abil ity to perform these functions, often resulting in human disease. Inte ractions with the extracellular matrix are mediated through transmembr ane integrin receptors that transmit signals to the cytoskeleton and t o signaling molecules within the proliferating cells of the epithelium . In the past year, novel insights have emerged regarding the specific role of integrins in their attachment to extracellular matrix and in their signal transduction pathways within the epidermis.