Mast cell–mediated inflammatory responses require the α2β1 integrin

Although the α2β1 integrin is widely expressed and has been extensively studied, it has not been previously implicated in mast cell biology. We observed that α2 integrin subunit-deficient mice exhibited markedly diminished neutrophil and interleukin-6 responses during Listeria monocytogenes – and zymosan-induced peritonitis. Since exudative neutrophils of wild-type mice expressed little α2β1 integrin, it seemed unlikely that this integrin mediated neutrophil migration directly. Here, we demonstrate constitutive α2β1 integrin expression on peritoneal mast cells. Although α2-null mice contain normal numbers of peritoneal mast cells, these α2-null cells do not support in vivo mast cell–dependent inflammatory responses. We conclude that α2β1 integrin provides a costimulatory function required for mast cell activation and cytokine production in response to infection.