Effect of quiescence on integrin α5β1 expression in human retinal pigment epithelium

Abstract

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of polarized epithelial cells located between the photoreceptor outer segments of the neural retina and the choroidal blood supply The interactions between a cell and its ECM are, in part, mediated by a family of cell surface glycoproteins called integrins Integrins are heterodimers consisting of variable αand βsubunits. The different combinations of these subunits determine the receptor specificity for the different ECM molecules The FN integrin α5β1 also appears to play pathogenic roles in a variety of proliferative diseases. Indeed, changes in α5β1 expression have been correlated with malignancy of uveal melanoma Integrins have been postulated to play a major role in PV