CD151
CD151 is a tetraspanin with a marked preference for laminin-binding integrins, complexing with alpha3 beta1, alpha6 beta1, alpha6 beta4 and alpha7 beta1 to organize basement membrane adhesion platforms. In the kidney, the CD151-alpha3 beta1 partnership maintains glomerular integrity, and the one human CD151 mutation described to date causes a combined syndrome of hereditary nephropathy and pretibial epidermolysis bullosa. Platelets and megakaryocytes express CD151 abundantly, contributing to adhesion under flow conditions, while in tumors the protein facilitates invasion through integrin clustering and extracellular vesicle signaling. Recombinant CD151 is a tool for tetraspanin-enriched microdomain and basement membrane adhesion research.
