Cytoskeleton and integrin-mediated adhesion signaling in human CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitor cells

Significant progress has been made recently in the understanding of cell ad hesion signaling. Many components of focal adhesion complexes have been ide ntified in fibroblasts and endothelial cells, showing considerable overlap and complementarity between growth signaling mediated by growth factor rece ptors and adhesive signaling mediated by cell adhesion receptors such as in tegrins, These studies showed that the cytoskeleton is essential for the co rrect intracellular localization of large signaling complexes that regulate the cellular machinery, Although adhesive interactions are essential to ma intain steady-state hemopoiesis, the study of the function and role of adhe sive interactions in hemopoietic progenitor and stem cells is less advanced .;Is in fibroblasts, functional overlap between hemopoietic growth factor r eceptors and cell adhesion receptors has been demonstrated, with the cytosk eleton likely playing a critical role in integrating information provided b y soluble factors and cell adhesion molecules constituting the hemopoietic microenvironment, The intention of this article is to give a critical revie w of the current knowledge about the cytoskeleton and integrin-mediated sig naling in hemopoietic progenitor cells. (C) 1999 International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.