Anti-Integrin alpha-7 ITGA7 Antibody Picoband®

Integrin alpha-7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ITGA7 gene. This gene is mapped to 12q13.2. The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the integrin alpha chain family. Integrins are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins composed of an alpha chain and a beta chain. They mediate a wide spectrum of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and thus play a role in cell migration, morphologic development, differentiation, and metastasis. This protein functions as a receptor for the basement membrane protein laminin-1. It is mainly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles and may be involved in differentiation and migration processes during myogenesis. Defects in this gene are associated with congenital myopathy.

A synthetic peptide corresponding to a sequence at the C-terminus of human ITGA7, identical to the related mouse sequence, and different from the related rat sequence by one amino acid.

Isoforms containing segment A are predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle. Isoforms containing segment B are abundantly expressed in skeletal muscle, moderately in cardiac muscle, small intestine, colon, ovary and prostate and weakly in lung and testes. Isoforms containing segment X2D are expressed at low levels in fetal and adult skeletal muscle and in cardiac muscle, but are not detected in myoblasts and myotubes. In muscle fibers isoforms containing segment A and B are expressed at myotendinous and neuromuscular junctions; isoforms containing segment C are expressed at neuromuscular junctions and at extrasynaptic sites. Isoforms containing segments X1 or X2 or, at low levels, X1X2 are expressed in fetal and adult skeletal muscle (myoblasts and myotubes) and cardiac muscle. .

Integrin alpha-7/beta-1 is the primary laminin receptor on skeletal myoblasts and adult myofibers. During myogenic differentiation, it may induce changes in the shape and mobility of myoblasts, and facilitate their localization at laminin-rich sites of secondary fiber formation. It is involved in the maintenance of the myofibers cytoarchitecture as well as for their anchorage, viability and functional integrity. Isoform Alpha-7X2B and isoform Alpha-7X1B promote myoblast migration on laminin 1 and laminin 2/4, but isoform Alpha-7X1B is less active on laminin 1 (In vitro) . Acts as Schwann cell receptor for laminin-2. Acts as a receptor of COMP and mediates its effect on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) maturation (By similarity) . Required to promote contractile phenotype acquisition in differentiated airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. .

1. Guo, C., Willem, M., Werner, A., Raivich, G., Emerson, M., Neyses, L., Mayer, U. Absence of alpha-7 integrin in dystrophin-deficient mice causes a myopathy similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Hum. Molec. Genet. 15: 989-998, 2006. 2. Nawrotzki, R., Willem, M., Miosge, N., Brinkmeier, H., Mayer, U. Defective integrin switch and matrix composition at alpha 7-deficient myotendinous junctions precede the onset of muscular dystrophy in mice. Hum. Molec. Genet. 12: 483-495, 2003.

Store at -20°C for one year from date of receipt. After reconstitution, at 4°C for one month. It can also be aliquotted and stored frozen at -20°C for six months. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.