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Nature 432, 27-28 (4 November 2004) | doi:10.1038/432027a; Published online 3 November 2004
Cell biology: Adhesion articulated
A. Paul Mould1 & Martin J. Humphries1
Abstract
A new structure of the 'head' region of an integrin protein explains the remarkable vertical extension that enables these molecules to rise to the task of mediating cell adhesion.
If they are to survive and move, cells must be able to stick to their surroundings. Integrin proteins enable a bidirectional control of cell adhesiveness, by dynamically coupling the matrix of molecules found outside the cell to the cell's internal 'skeleton'.
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