Integrinalpha7(ITGA7)belongstotheintegrinfamilyofadhesionmolecules.Integrinsparticipateinimportantcell-cellandcell-extracellularmatrixinteractionsinadiverserangeof
BIOLOGicalprocesses.ITGA7isaheterodimerconsistingofanαandaβsubunitandismainlyexpressedinskeletalandcardiacmuscle.Inskeletalmuscle,ITGA7isa
Markerforsatellitecells.Itisaspecificcellularreceptorforthebasementmembraneproteinlaminin-1,aswellasforthelamininisoforms-2and-4andisinvolvedindifferentiationandmigrationprocessesduringmyogenesis.AbsenceofITGA7resultsinmusculardystrophy.Itisalsorequiredtopromotecontractilephenotypeacquisitionindifferentiatedairwaysmoothmusclecells.