Figure 3.

Integrin α6β4 expressed in the human colonic mucosa. In the lower crypt (LC), which contains stem cells (yellow) and proliferative absorptive and goblet cell precursors (gold and light green), α6β4 is expressed under the form of α6Aβ4ctd- while in the upper crypt (UC) and surface epithelium (SE), which contains quiescent absorptive and goblet cells (orange and green), it is under the form of α6Bβ4ctd+. In carcinoma (blue), this segregation is lost and α6β4 is predominantly expressed under the pro-proliferative form α6Aβ4ctd+.