Laminin {alpha}1 globular domains 4-5 induce fetal development but are not vital for embryonic basement membrane assembly.
basement membrane (BM) assembly, which is required for pregastrulation development. Individual domains may have other functions, not necessarily structural. The cell binding C terminus of Lm {alpha}1 chain contains five Lm globular (LG) domains. In vitro, {alpha}1LG1–3 domains bind integrins, and {alpha}1LG4 binds dystroglycan, heparin, and sulfatides. A prevailing hypothesis is that {alpha}1LG4 i