The “integrin” terminology was applied in a 1987 review article (1) to describe a family of
structurally, immunochemically, and functionally related cell-surface heterodimeric
receptors, which integrated the extracellular matrix with the intracellular cytoskeleton to
mediate cell migration and adhesion. The three original ß subunits (ß1, ß2, and ß3)
identified have now expanded to eight, and the number of α subunits stands at 17. These
subunits interact noncovalently in a restricted manner to form more than 20 family members …