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While previously shown to regulate vascular permeability in vivo, its role in epithelial tissues remains less defined. Here, we demonstrate that LaNt \u03b131 modulates epithelial cell behavior by altering laminin 332 (LM332) organization and hemidesmosome (HD) maturation. Adenoviral driven overexpression of LaNt \u03b131 in corneal epithelial cells led to premature HD assembly, marked by enhanced recruitment of collagen XVII and BPAG1e to \u03b24 integrin, and reduced cell migration. LaNt \u03b131 expression reorganized LM332 from diffuse arcs into tight clusters and co-localized with LM\u03b23 during matrix deposition. Notably, phenotypes were rescued by precoated extracellular matrix, indicating a matrix-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, LaNt \u03b131 increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and LM\u03b13 proteolytic processing, both essential for its effects, as MMP inhibition reversed LM clustering and HD maturation. These findings identify LaNt \u03b131 as a regulator of epithelial homeostasis through modulation of LM332 architecture and cell\u2013matrix adhesion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0338797","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T18:25:57Z","timestamp":1768328757000},"page":"e0338797","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Laminin N-terminus \u03b131 regulates corneal epithelial cell adhesion and migration through modifying the organization and proteolytic processing of laminin 332"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Lee 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