Integrin alpha1beta1 binds to collagen type IV and VI with higher affinity than to types I-III, whereas alpha2beta1 has a higher affinity for collagen types I-III than for type IV. Integrin alpha10beta1 binds collagen types I, IV, and VI with similar affinities (Tulla et al. 2001). Integrin alpha11beta1 binds preferentially to the fibril-forming collagen types I and II, binding to type III is weaker and collagens IV and VI are poor ligands (Zhang et al. 2003).

Binding to collagen type I occurs at sites corresponding to the six-residue sequence G(F/L)OGER (Knight et al. 1998, 2000, Xu et al. 2000).

Integrin alpha2beta1 is the major platelet collagen receptor (Kunicki et al. 1988). It requires Mg2+ to interact with collagen and may require initiation mediated by the activation of Integrin alphaIIbBeta3 (van de Walle 2007).