The Transmembrane structure of integrin αllbβ3: significance for signal transduction

Outside contact: Cells in multicellular organisms regulate their adhesion through specialized integrin receptors, which relay signals bidirectionally between the inside and outside of cells. The transmembrane domains (see picture, blue; the integrin-talin complex is red and green) of integrins are the center of the signaling process. Recently, structures of these domains have been reported that shed light on the signal transduction mechanism.