Staffan Johansson, Gunbjørg Svineng*, Krister Wennerberg*, Annika Armulik, Lars Lohikangas

Department of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, The Biomedical Center, Box 575, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden

Received 2/20/97; Accepted 2/27/97; On-line 3/1/97

*GS and KW have made equally important and major contributions to this article.

1. ABSTRACT

Fibronectin is recognized by at least ten cell surface receptors of the integrin family. Most cell types in the body can adhere to fibronectin via these receptors, and thereby fibronectin becomes involved in many different biological processes. Three areas related to fibronectin and its receptors which have developed rapidly during the last few years are summarized in this review: the mechanisms of interactions between fibronectin and integrins, fibronectin polymerization, and in vivo functions of the proteins as studied by gene targeting in mice.