This gene is a member of the integrin beta chain family and encodes a single-pass type I membrane protein with a VWFA domain and four cysteine-rich repeats. This protein noncovalently binds to an alpha subunit to form a heterodimeric integrin complex. In general, integrin complexes mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and this complex plays a role in human airway epithelial proliferation. Alternatively spliced variants which encode different protein isoforms have been described; however, not all variants have been fully characterized. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].