Involved in cell adhesion. Contributes to integrin activation. When coexpressed with talin, potentiates activation of ITGA2B. Required for normal keratinocyte proliferation. Required for normal polarization of basal keratinocytes in skin, and for normal cell shape. Required for normal adhesion of keratinocytes to fibronectin and laminin, and for normal keratinocyte migration to wound sites. May mediate TGF-beta 1 signaling in tumor progression.
Subcellular locations: Cytoplasm, Cytoskeleton, Cell junction, Focal adhesion, Cell projection, Ruffle membrane
Constituent of focal adhesions. Localized at the basal aspect of skin keratinocytes, close to the cell membrane. Colocalizes with filamentous actin. Upon TGFB1 treatment, it localizes to membrane ruffles.
Expressed in brain, skeletal muscle, kidney, colon, adrenal gland, prostate, and placenta. Weakly or not expressed in heart, thymus, spleen, liver, small intestine, bone marrow, lung and peripheral blood leukocytes. Overexpressed in some colon and lung tumors. In skin, it is localized within the epidermis and particularly in basal keratocytes. Not detected in epidermal melanocytes and dermal fibroblasts.