CD49f/Integrin alpha-6
CD49f, the integrin alpha-6 subunit, pairs with beta-1 to mediate laminin adhesion on many cell types and with beta-4 to build the α6β4 hemidesmosome receptor that anchors stratified epithelia to the basement membrane. Because α6β4 couples laminin engagement to keratin cytoskeletons and to phosphoinositide signaling, it supports epithelial resilience and contributes to invasive carcinoma behavior when it relocalizes. CD49f is a widely used marker of epithelial stem and progenitor compartments, including mammary basal cells and hair follicle bulge stem cells. Junctional epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia can arise from loss of α6β4 function in the epidermis.
