Binding to cells via a high affinity receptor, laminin is thought to mediate the attachment, migration and organization of cells into tissues during embryonic development by interacting with other extracellular matrix components. Laminin-5 is thought to be involved in (1) cell adhesion via integrin alpha-3/beta-1 in focal adhesion and integrin alpha-6/beta-4 in hemidesmosomes, (2) signal transduction via tyrosine phosphorylation of pp125-FAK and p80, (3) differentiation of keratinocytes. Laminin is a complex glycoprotein, consisting of three different polypeptide chains (alpha, beta, gamma), which are bound to each other by disulfide bonds into a cross-shaped molecule comprising one long and three short arms with globules at each end. Alpha-3 is a subunit of laminin-5 (laminin-332 or epiligrin/kalinin/nicein), laminin-6 (laminin-311 or K-laminin) and laminin-7 (laminin-321 or KS-laminin). Major component. Skin; respiratory, urinary, and digestive epithelia and in other specialized tissues with prominent secretory or protective functions. Epithelial basement membrane, and epithelial cell tongue that migrates into a wound bed. A differential and focal expression of the subunit alpha-3 is observed in the CNS. Laminin-5 is up-regulated in wound sites of human skin. The alpha-helical domains I and II are thought to interact with other laminin chains to form a coiled coil structure. Domain G is globular. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.