Boucheix C, Rubinstein E
INSERM U268, Institut André-Lwoff, Hĵpital Paul-Brousse, Villejuif, France.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2001 Aug;58(9):1189-205. doi: 10.1007/PL00000933.
The first tetraspanins were discovered on surface of human leucocytes, but it was rapidly demonstrated that they had a wider tissue expression. Twenty-six molecules display sufficient homology to belong to the same superfamily. Their function is not precisely known, but data coming from biochemical studies or knockout mice suggest that they play a major role in membrane biology. One of their outstanding properties is their ability to form a network of multimolecular complexes, the 'tetraspanin web', in which integrins are included. The structure of these complexes is under investigation, but some of the rules that govern their organization have already been unraveled. The challenge is to determine how the organization of the 'tetraspanin web' modifies the function of its constitutive molecules and consequently influences cellular behaviour. The implications may be considerable for the understanding of basic cellular processes such as migration and also of diseases related to loss or mutation of a single tetraspanin.
首个四跨膜蛋白是在人类白细胞表面发现的，但很快就证明它们在组织中的表达更为广泛。有26种分子显示出足够的同源性，属于同一超家族。它们的功能尚不完全清楚，但来自生化研究或基因敲除小鼠的数据表明，它们在膜生物学中发挥着重要作用。它们的一个突出特性是能够形成多分子复合物网络，即“四跨膜蛋白网络”，其中包括整合素。这些复合物的结构正在研究中，但一些支配其组织的规则已经被揭示。挑战在于确定“四跨膜蛋白网络”的组织方式如何改变其组成分子的功能，进而影响细胞行为。这对于理解诸如迁移等基本细胞过程以及与单个四跨膜蛋白缺失或突变相关的疾病可能具有重要意义。
