Integrin alpha M beta 2

Integrin alpha M beta 2, better known as Mac-1, CR3 or CD11b/CD18, is the most abundant beta-2 integrin on myeloid cells including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and NK cells. Its alpha M I-domain binds a remarkably diverse ligand set: the complement opsonin iC3b, fibrinogen, ICAM-1, heparin and denatured proteins, enabling phagocytosis of opsonized microbes, adhesion to endothelium, and signaling for degranulation and respiratory burst in neutrophils. CD11b is a standard activation marker measured on granulocytes by flow cytometry. Mac-1 also mediates leukocyte recruitment in thrombosis and ischemia-reperfusion injury, and blocking antibodies remain key research tools for dissecting complement-dependent phagocytosis and myeloid cell adhesion.