Subjects of Research Our long-term goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms defining morphogenetic interactions of cells with their surrounding microenvironment, i.e., extracellular matrices. We are particularly interested in the roles of the basement membrane in histogenesis/organogenesis, with an emphasis on the molecular interactions of basement membrane proteins with their cognitive receptors on the cell surface as well as the resulting signaling events that regulate proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and motility of cells. Our current research efforts are focused on the following topics: 1) Structure-function relationships of basement membrane adhesive proteins 2) signaling events elicited by laminin-binding integrins 3) roles of tetraspanins in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions 4) functions of alternatively spliced fibronectin isoforms 5) engineering of artificial extracellular matrix with built-in growth factors. The major achievements in our laboratory during the past few years are listed in Publication List.