Disease relevance of LAMA4

• Mice with targeted disruption of the lama3 gene, which encodes the alpha3 chain of laminin-5 (alpha3beta3gamma2, 332), develop a blistering skin disease similar to junctional epidermolysis bullosa in humans [1].

High impact information on LAMA4

• Abnormal development of glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells in mice with targeted disruption of the lama3 gene [1].
• In both wild-type and mutant animals (lama3(-/-)), podocytes secrete glomerular basement membrane and develop foot processes [1].
• Furthermore, LAMA3 chain expression and/or another product of endothelial cells are required for MC migration into the developing glomerulus [1].
• Localization of the gene (LAMA4) to chromosome 6q21 and isolation of a partial cDNA encoding a variant laminin A chain [2].
• Using amplification of genomic DNA and flow-sorted chromosomes we have assigned the gene (LAMA4) for this new laminin A variant to chromosome 6 [2].

Biological context of LAMA4

• We previously localised the gene (LAMA4) encoding a novel laminin alpha 4 chain to chromosome 6q21 [3].

Other interactions of LAMA4

• Although closely linked to LAMA2, the LAMA4 product most closely resembles laminin alpha 3, a constituent of laminin 5 [3].

References