ABSTRACT
Integrins are transmembrane proteins, with the largest portion of the molecule oriented to the extracellular side of the membrane. Fusion proteins of various types have been used to mimic integrin tails, but the fusion partners can create problems of non-specific binding in certain types of assays. The chapter describes methods for using synthetic peptides in a variety of solid-phase binding assays, and in single-cell microinjection experiments. The integrin-derived peptides are immobilized on a column matrix, and lysates of cultured cells or tissues are passed over the column. Peptides can be conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) at a ratio of 70 to 100 moles of peptide per mole of BSA using a heterobifunctional coupling agent called sulfo-MBS, following the protocol supplied by the manufacturer.
