Integrins are dimeric transmembrane proteins of the plasma membrane. According to the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure (see Chapter 14), transmembrane proteins should be free to diffuse within the lipid bilayer. Yet, as shown by Tamkun and colleagues in 1986, integrins have a very restricted distribution in the plasma membrane of fibroblasts. The distribution often appears as a series of tracks across the cell surface. How can this distribution be explained?

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The Answer of Integrins are dimeric transmembrane proteins of the plasma membrane. According to the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure (see Chapter 14), transmembrane proteins should be free to diffuse within the lipid bilayer. Yet, as shown by Tamkun and colleagues in 1986, integrins have a very restricted distribution in the plasma membrane of fibroblasts. The distribution often appears as a series of tracks across the cell surface. How can this distribution be explained?

Integrins Are Dimeric Transmembrane Proteins of the Plasma Membrane