α5β1 Integrins are Receptors for Bile Acids with a (Nor-)Ursodeoxycholane Scaffold

Integrins are ubiquitously expressed cell adhesion receptors and the most prevalent bidirectional signaling molecules on the cell surface. They are involved in osmosensing in the liver [1,2,3] and facilitate the communication between the extracellular matrix and cytoplasmic proteins. Upon activation, integrins undergo large-scale conformational changes from a compact, bent state to an open, extended state [4]. A recent study combined immunofluorescence staining (IFS) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to identify tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDC) as potent agonist of α5β1 integrins in hepatocytes…