Talin Dependent Mechanosensitivity of Cell Focal Adhesions.

ABSTRACT: A fundamental question in mechanobiology is how mechanical stimuli are sensed by mechanosensing proteins and converted into signals that direct cells to adapt to the external environment. A key function of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) is to transduce mechanical forces between cells and their extracellular environment. Talin, a cytoplasmic adapter essential for integrin-mediated adhesion to the ECM, links the actin cytoskeleton to integrin at the plasma membrane. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of talin-dependent mechanosensing revealed by stretching single talin molecules. Rapid progress in single-molecule force manipulation technologies has made it possible to directly study the impact of mechanical force on talin's conformations and its interaction

SUBMITTER: Yan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4468797 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature