Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier.

ABSTRACT: Formation of the skin barrier is essential for organismal survival and tissue homeostasis. Barrier formation requires positioning of functional tight junctions (TJs) to the most suprabasal viable layer of the epidermis through a mechanical circuit that is driven by generation of high tension at adherens junctions. However, what allows the sensing of tension build-up at these adhesions and how this tension is balanced to match the requirements of tissue mechanical properties is unclear. Here, we show that the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 is essential for the maturation of intercellular junctions into functional continuous adhesions. Deletion of Piezo1 results in an imbalance of cell contractility and membrane tension, leading to a delay in adhesion maturation. Consequently, the requi

SUBMITTER: Javed A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12450467 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature