Integrin adhesion complexes control polarized targeting of the intracellular trafficking machinery via microtubules.
Integrin adhesions are exocytic hubs for a variety of vesicles, including lytic and dense granules, lysosome-related organelles, and biosynthetic vesicles.
Integrin-dependent adhesion and signaling is required for degranulation of platelets and leukocytes and controls hemostasis and immunity.
Specialized adhesion complexes containing integrin αvβ5 and clathrin are sites of frustrated endocytosis and hubs for mechanotransduction.
Integrin control of endocytosis regulates Toll-like receptor signaling and autophagy in immune cells.
Integrins control intercellular communication and viral transfer through extracellular vesicles.
Integrins are transmembrane receptors that transduce biochemical and mechanical signals across the plasma membrane and promote cell adhesion and migration. In addition, integrin adhesion complexes are functionally and structurally linked to components of the intracellular trafficking machinery and accumulating data now reveal that they are key regulators of endocytosis and exocytosis in a variety of cell types. Here, we highlight recent insights into integrin control of intracellular trafficking in processes such as degranulation, mechanotransduction, cell–cell communication, antibody production, virus entry, Toll-like receptor signaling, autophagy, and phagocytosis, as well as the release and uptake of extracellular vesicles. We discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms and the implications for a range of pathophysiological contexts, including hemostasis, immunity, tissue repair, cancer, and viral infection.
