Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 also known as vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) or cluster of differentiation 106 (CD106) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the VCAM1gene.[5] VCAM-1 functions as a cell adhesion molecule.
Upregulation of VCAM-1 in endothelial cells by cytokines occurs as a result of increased gene transcription (e.g., in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1)) and through stabilization of messenger RNA (mRNA) (e.g., Interleukin-4 (IL-4)). The promoter region of the VCAM1 gene contains functional tandem NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B) sites. The sustained expression of VCAM-1 lasts over 24 hours.
Primarily, the VCAM-1 protein is an endothelial ligand for VLA-4 (Very Late Antigen-4 or integrin α4β1) of the β1 subfamily of integrins. VCAM-1 expression has also been observed in other cell types (e.g., smooth muscle cells). It has also been shown to interact with EZR[7] and Moesin.[7]
VCAM-1 is also upregulated if vWF (Von Willebrand Factor) is given in knock-out (KO) ADMATS13 mice but not on mice without KO.[8]
Certain melanoma cells can use VCAM-1 to adhere to the endothelium,[10] VCAM-1 may participate in monocyte recruitment to atherosclerotic sites, and it is highly overexpressed in the inflamed brain.[11] As a result, VCAM-1 is a potential drug target.
^"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^Cybulsky M, Fries JW, Williams AJ, Sultan P, Eddy RL, Byers MG, Shows TB, Gimbrone MA Jr, Collins T (1991). "The human VCAM1 gene is assigned to chromosome 1p31-p32". Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 58 (3–4): 1850–1867. doi:10.1159/000133735.