Talin force coupling underlies eukaryotic cell-substrate adhesion.

ABSTRACT: Integrin-mediated cell adhesion and mechanotransduction are considered key innovations in animal evolution. Here, we show that these processes represent a specialization of an evolutionarily conserved force coupling mechanism that originated in unicellular organisms and is mediated by the actin-binding protein talin. In contrast to heterodimeric integrin receptors, talin is widely distributed in unicellular organisms, including amoebae. By comparing the molecular mechanics of talin-A from amoeboid cells with that of mammalian talin-1, we uncover a conserved role for talin in transmitting pN-scale forces, even in unicellular organisms lacking canonical integrin receptors but expressing the functional homologue SibA. Our data indicate that the critical evolutionary steps towards integrin-med

SUBMITTER: Rangarajan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686525 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature