Figure 5.

Diagram of the hypothesized activation of integrin through interactions with elements of the cytoskeleton (inside-out activation), as a result of other cellular stimuli (outside-in). This switches the integrin into a conformation with affinity for RGD motif ligands. If binding of spike protein mimics the action of integrin ligands (acts as an agonist), this binding may be capable of activating downstream cellular activities. Integrin drawing based on PDB Molecule of the Month (https://pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/134).