Recombinant integrin ectodomains
To study integrin-matrix interactions, we have generated ectodomain heterodimers, which associate via the heterodimerizing leucine zippers of the Fos and Jun transcription factors. These soluble integrins are mainly produced in insect cell expression systems and isolated with high purity and activity by ligand affinity chromatography (Bergmeier W et al. 2001).

The soluble integrins have been instrumental:

• to study integrin-matrix interactions at the molecular level in a cell-free binding assay (Eble JA et al. 1996; Eble JA et al. 1998; Eble JA et al. 2001; Saccà B et al. 2002; Eble JA et al. 2003; Perret S et al. 2003; Fiedler LR et al. 2008; Woodall BP et al. 2008; Tanjoni I et al. 2010; Zeltz C et al. 2010; Ligezowska A et al. 2011; Niland S et al. 2011; Veit G et al. 2011).
  
  
• to test integrins as potential docking sites for pathogens and vehicles for gene therapy (Krukonis ES et al. 1998; Fortunati E et al. 2000; Linn ML et al. 2004).
  
  
• to screen venoms for potential and novel integrin inhibitors (Eble JA 2006; Eble JA 2010; Sanchez EF et al. 2010; Tanjoni I, et al. 2010; Momic T et al. 2011; Naumann GB et al. 2011; Arlinghaus FT and Eble JA 2012; Momic T et al. 2012; Parguina AF et al. 2012; Sanz-Soler R et al. 2012; Arlinghaus FT and Eble JA 2013; Arlinghaus FT et al. 2013; De Cuyper IM et al. 2013; Jacubowski P et al. 2013; Vivas-Ruiz DE et al. 2013).
  
  
• to characterize integrin-specific cell functions (Montesano R et al. 2005; Stock C et al. 2005; Eble JA and Haier J 2006; Ratzinger S et al. 2010; Jennewein C et al. 2011; Müller NF et al. 2011; Navdaev A and Eble JA 2011; Niland S, et al. 2011; Veit G, et al. 2011; de Rezende Figueiredo F et al. 2012; Kusuma N et al. 2012; Parguina AF, et al. 2012; Beerlage C et al. 2013; De Cuyper IM, et al. 2013; Michaelis UR et al. 2013; Nikolic I et al. 2013; Zwolanek D et al. 2014).