| First Author | Khalifeh-Soltani A | Year | 2016 |
| Journal | Elife | Volume | 5 |
| PubMed ID | 27092791 | Mgi Jnum | J:269073 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6204049 | Doi | 10.7554/eLife.13063 |
| Citation | Khalifeh-Soltani A, et al. (2016) alpha8beta1 integrin regulates nutrient absorption through an Mfge8-PTEN dependent mechanism. Elife 5:e13063 |
| abstractText | Coordinated gastrointestinal smooth muscle contraction is critical for proper nutrient absorption and is altered in a number of medical disorders. In this work, we demonstrate a critical role for the RGD-binding integrin alpha8beta1 in promoting nutrient absorption through regulation of gastrointestinal motility. Smooth muscle-specific deletion and antibody blockade of alpha8 in mice result in enhanced gastric antral smooth muscle contraction, more rapid gastric emptying, and more rapid transit of food through the small intestine leading to malabsorption of dietary fats and carbohydrates as well as protection from weight gain in a diet-induced model of obesity. Mechanistically, ligation of alpha8beta1 by the milk protein Mfge8 reduces antral smooth muscle contractile force by preventing RhoA activation through a PTEN-dependent mechanism. Collectively, our results identify a role for alpha8beta1 in regulating gastrointestinal motility and identify alpha8 as a potential target for disorders characterized by hypo- or hyper-motility. |
