The gene encodes a member of the integrin alpha chain family of proteins. Integrins are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins composed of an alpha chain and a beta chain that function in cell surface adhesion and signaling. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate light and heavy chains that comprise the alpha 4 subunit. This subunit associates with a beta 1 or beta 7 subunit to form an integrin that may play a role in cell motility and migration. This integrin is a therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2015]
Alternative Names
269C wild type alpha 4 subunit of VLA-4 receptor antigen CD49D alpha-4 subunit of VLA-4 receptor CD49 antigen-like family member D integrin alpha-IV integrin alpha4B integrin alpha 4 ITGA-IV LPAM subunit alpha lymphocyte Peyer patch adhesion molecules subunit alpha very late activation protein 4 receptor alpha 4 subunit VLA-4 receptor alpha 4 subunit VLA-4 subunit alpha