Background:
Laminins are a family of basement membrane glycoproteins composed of three nonidentical chains, laminin alpha, beta and gamma (formerly A, B1, and B2, respectively) (PMID: 7959779). Laminins contribute to the structure of extracellular matrix and influence the behavior of associated cells, such as adhesion, differentiation, migration, phenotype stability, and resistance to anoikis (PMID: 23057746). Laminin beta 1 (LAMB1) is expressed in most tissues that produce basement membranes, and is one of the 3 chains constituting laminin-1, the first laminin isolated from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor. Laminin beta 1 is also a subunit of laminin-2 (laminin-211 or merosin), laminin-6 (laminin-311 or K-laminin), laminin-8 (laminin-411), laminin-10 (laminin-511) and laminin-12 (laminin-213).