INTEGRINS AND OTHER CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES IN CARDIAC DEVELOPMENT

Cardiac morphogenesis is dependent on the coordinated and programmed e xpression of cell surface receptors that can mediate cell-cell associa tions or promote adhesion of the cell to its extracellular environment . This article briefly reviews the unique adhesive characteristics and expression profiles of the integrins and other families of adhesion m olecules that have been implicated in critical events of early heart d evelopment. Understanding the developmental repertoire of receptor exp ression, which in most cases cannot be predicted front that seen in th e mature heart, is an important component in unraveling the molecular events of normal cardiac development disease, and certain pathologic c onditions seen in the adult heart.