BBB seminar: Johannes A. Eble
Agonist and snake-venom derived antagonists of integrin-mediated cell reactions
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Johannes A. Eble
Institute for Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Münster University Hospital, Germany
Integrins are cell adhesion molecules which are responsible for a variety of cell reactions elicited by extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Recombinant integrin-binding domains of ECM-proteins, e.g. mini-collagens or mini-laminins, can be instrumental in identifying integrin-specific cell reactions. In contrast, snake venoms target integrins to block these integrin functions. Snake venom derived integrin antagonists are effective on cell adhesion both in vitro and in vivo. They may help to fight diseases, in which integrin-ECM-interaction plays a pathological role. The seminar will present our efforts to collect data on snake venoms, our attempts to identify snake venom components which interfere with cell adhesion, and the implications/usefulness of these reagents in different biological systems.
Host: Donald Gullberg, Department of Biomedicine