Arg-Gly-Asp-motif toxins using integrin as a target:research advances

The integrins are a family of αβ heterodimeric membrane proteins that mediate dynamic linkages between extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and the intracellular actin cytoskeleton.Many of integrins bind to the Arg-Gly-Asp(RGD)sequence which exists in ECM proteins and modulate many cellular processes.The RGD motif has also been found in many toxins from snake venom and other animal sources.These toxins can specifilally inhibit the binding of integrins to ECM,thus becoming the effective integrin antagonists.Here we review the integrin structure and functions,and the disintegrin structural features as antagonists of integrin function.The application of integrins and RGD motif structure as potential drug targets is also discussed.