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. 2018 Jun 12;9:1277. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01277

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Tetraspanins modulate invasion and metastases by regulating the activity of their partners. (A) Tetraspanins form stable lateral association with integrins in tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMS) favoring spreading, cell adhesion, and migration through the extracellular matrix (ECM); on the other hand, (B) tetraspanins regulate ECM degradation during cell invasion by modulating expression and activity of metalloproteases, such as MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-14. (C) The TspanC8 subgroup is known to promote trafficking and cell localization of ADAM10 and its sheddase activity thereby regulating substrates, such as NOTCH receptor, to favor epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). (D) Association of CD9/CD81 with EWI-2 affects TGFβ signaling modulating EMT, invasion, and metastases of melanoma.