CD151 interacts with BP180 and the integrin alpha 6 subunit BP230 interacts with keretin K5/K14 BP180 interacts intracellularly with plectin and integrin beta4 Interaction of Plectin with Integrin beta 4 BP230 is recruited to the hemidesmosome BP180 interacts extracellularly with Laminin 332 PathwayStep4811 PathwayStep4810 PathwayStep4812 PathwayStep4808 PathwayStep4807 PathwayStep4809 Type I hemidesmosome assembly Authored: Matthews, L, 2009-11-04 Edited: Matthews, L, 2009-11-04 GENE ONTOLOGYGO:0031581 Hemidesmosomes (HDs) are specialized multiprotein junctional complexes that connect the keratin cytoskeleton of epithelial cells to the extracellular matrix and play a critical role in the maintenance of tissue structure and integrity (reviewed in Litjens et al., 2006). HDs mediate adhesion of epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane in stratified squamous, transitional and pseudostratified epithelia (Jones et al., 1994 ; Borradori and Sonnenberg, 1996). Classical Type I HDs are found in stratified and pseudo-stratified epithelia, such as the skin, and contain a6b4, plectin, tetraspanin CD151 and the bullous pemphigoid (BP) antigens BP180 and BP230 (reviewed in Litjens et al., 2006). While HDs function in promoting stable adhesion, they are highly dynamic structures that are able to disassemble quickly, for example, during cell division, differentiation, or migration (see Margadant et al, 2008). Pubmed16757171 Pubmed18583123 Pubmed8020577 Pubmed8939649 Reactome Database ID Release 43446107 Reactome, http://www.reactome.org ReactomeREACT_20537 Reviewed: Sonnenberg, A, 2009-11-15