Clone REA441 recognizes the human and mouse integrin β7 antigen, a single-pass type I membrane protein which is also known as gut homing receptor β subunit. Integrins are heterodimeric glycoprotein receptors and exist as non-covalently bound α and β subunits. The integrin β7 subfamily has two known members (α4β7 and αEβ7) that are expressed primarily by leukocytes and have been implicated in secondary lymphoid structure formation, plasma cells homing to gastrointestinal mucosa, and inflammatory responses. Their ligands: the mucosal vascular addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) and E-cadherin are present on the surface of endothelial cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and epithelial cells. Interaction of α4β7 with MAdCAM-1 allows for tissue-specific migration of circulating lymphocytes into the lamina propria and Peyer patches of the gut, whereas αEβ7 retains intraepithelial lymphocytes within the gut epithelium through E-cadherin binding. Integrin β7 is also reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases such as colitis, diabetic insulitis, and lymphoid malignancies including lymphomatous polyposis in mantle cell lymphoma, thymic lymphoma, and mucosa-associated T cell and B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Additional information: Clone REA441 displays negligible binding to Fc receptors.