This gene encodes a protein that is a member of the integrin superfamily. Integrins are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins composed of an alpha chain and a beta chain. This protein undergoes post-translational cleavage to yield disulfide-linked heavy and light chains that combine with multiple integrin beta chains to form different integrins. This protein has been shown to heterodimerize with beta 1, beta 3, beta 5, beta 6, and beta 8; the heterodimer of alpha v and beta 3 is the Vitronectin receptor. This protein interacts with several extracellular matrix proteins to mediate cell adhesion and may play a role in cell migration. It is proposed that this protein may regulate angiogenesis and cancer progression. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants that encode different protein isoforms.