ABSTRACT
W e discuss insights into integrin function obtained through phenotypic and structure function analysis o f integrins and associated proteins in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. Integrins contribute to fly development by mediating both dynamic and stable adhesive interactions. The minimal redundancy o f proteins involved and the ease with which they can be manipulated in the context o f the whole organism and studied at the cellular level make it an ideal model organism to study the “core” complexes that mediate diverse integrin functions. Such an analysis has revealed a hierarchy o f molecular interactions that mediate stable adhesion between two layers o f cells through an intervening extracellular matrix.
