CD49c

This antibody reacts with the CD49c-antigen (VLA-3 alpha-chain or Integrin alpha-3/beta-1) a receptor for fibronectin, laminin, collagen, epiligrin, thrombospondin and CSPG4. Integrin alpha-3/beta-1 provides a docking site for FAP (seprase) at invadopodia plasma membranes in a collagen-dependent manner and hence may participate in the adhesion, formation of invadopodia and matrix degradation processes, promoting cell invasion. Alpha-3/beta-1 may mediate with LGALS3 the stimulation by CSPG4 of endothelial cells migration. The monoclonal antibody VJ1/6 reacts with α 3 integrin, a transmembrane glycoprotein which non-covalently associates with integrin β 1 (CD29) to form the α3b1 (CD49c/CD29,VLA-3) complex which is proteolytically cleaved into two disulfide linked fragments of 125 kD and 30 kD. CD49c is expressed mostly on endothelial and epithelial cells (basal epidermal layers). It is not expressed on platelets and is expressed weakly on peripheral blood leukocytes. The CD49c/CD29 complex serves as an adhesive receptor for kalinin or epiligrin. This interaction may be important for thymocyte interaction with thymic epithelium. This antibody is suitable for immunohistochemical staining on acetone-fixed frozen tissue sections.