Kilshaw P J
Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge, UK.
Mol Pathol. 1999 Aug;52(4):203-7. doi: 10.1136/mp.52.4.203.
alpha E beta 7 is a member of the integrin family and is expressed almost exclusively by cells of the T lymphocyte lineage in mucosal tissues. Expression is induced by transforming growth factor beta in the mucosal microenvironment. Genetic elements that control transcription are under investigation and may prove valuable for directing the expression of transgenes in mucosal T cells. The only known ligand for alpha E beta 7 is E-cadherin, which is expressed on epithelial cells. In this article, molecular aspects of ligand recognition by alpha E beta 7 in relation to recent structural data on cadherin domains are reviewed. Expression of alpha E beta 7 is often increased in inflammatory diseases, particularly where T cells infiltrate epithelial tissues. The function of alpha E beta 7 is not yet fully understood, but it is likely to be important in retention of T cells in mucosal tissues and may also have a role in cell signalling and communication between lymphocytes and epithelial surfaces.
αEβ7是整合素家族的一员，几乎仅在黏膜组织中的T淋巴细胞系细胞中表达。其表达由黏膜微环境中的转化生长因子β诱导。控制转录的基因元件正在研究中，可能对指导黏膜T细胞中转基因的表达具有重要价值。αEβ7唯一已知的配体是E-钙黏蛋白，它在上皮细胞上表达。本文综述了αEβ7与钙黏蛋白结构域最新结构数据相关的配体识别分子层面的内容。αEβ7的表达在炎症性疾病中常常增加，尤其是在T细胞浸润上皮组织的情况下。αEβ7的功能尚未完全了解，但它可能在T细胞滞留于黏膜组织中起重要作用，也可能在淋巴细胞与上皮表面之间的细胞信号传导和通讯中发挥作用。
