Published articles - Molecular Mechanotransduction

5

Integrins in Mechanotransduction

http://www.jbc.org
Year of publication: 
2004
Journal name: 
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
Mechanical forces are crucial to the regulation of cell and tissue morphology and function. At the cellular level, forces influence cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, proliferation, and survival. Integrin-mediated adhesions are intrinsically mechanosensitive and a large body of data implicates integrins in sensing mechanical forces. We review the relationship between integrins and mechanical forces, the role of integrins in cellular responses to stretch and fluid flow, and propose that some of these events are mechanistically related. Read more »
2

Finite-Element Analysis of the Adhesion-Cytoskeleton-Nucleus Mechanotransduction Pathway During Endothelial Cell Rounding: Axisymmetric Model

http://www.seas.upenn.edu
Year of publication: 
2005
Journal name: 
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Endothelial cells possess a mechanical network connecting adhesions on the basal surface, the cytoskeleton, and the nucleus. Transmission of force at adhesions via this pathway can deform the nucleus, ultimately resulting in an alteration of gene expression and other cellular changes (mechanotransduction). Previously, we measured cell adhesion area and apparent nuclear stretch during endothelial cell rounding. Here, we reconstruct the stress map of the nucleus from the observed strains using finite-element modeling. To Read more »
liyi-xu's picture
Created by liyi-xu 2 years 6 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 6 weeks ago
Category: Adherens Junctions   Tags:
5

GENETICS OF SENSORY MECHANOTRANSDUCTION

http://arjournals.annualreviews.org
Year of publication: 
2002
Journal name: 
Annual Review of Genetics
The molecular mechanisms for the transduction of light and chemical signals in animals are fairly well understood. In contrast, the processes by which the senses of touch, balance, hearing, and proprioception are transduced are still largely unknown. Biochemical approaches to identify transduction components are difficult to use with mechanosensory systems, but genetic approaches are proving more successful. Genetic research in several organisms has demonstrated the importance of cytoskeletal, extracellular, and membrane components for sensory mechanotransduction. In particular, Read more »
eritakami's picture
Created by eritakami 2 years 6 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 6 weeks ago
Category: Cytoskeletal Dynamics   Tags:
3

Computational Analysis of Viscoelastic Properties of Crosslinked Actin Networks

http://web.mit.edu
Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
PloS Computational Biology
Mechanical force plays an important role in the physiology of eukaryotic cells whose dominant structural constituent is the actin cytoskeleton composed mainly of actin and actin crosslinking proteins (ACPs). Thus, knowledge of rheological properties of actin networks is crucial for understanding the mechanics and processes of cells. We used Brownian dynamics simulations to study the viscoelasticity of crosslinked actin networks. Two methods were employed, bulk rheology and Read more »
acourac's picture
Created by acourac 2 years 6 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 6 weeks ago
Category: Cytoskeletal Dynamics   Tags:
7

Mechanical Interactions Among Cytoskeletal Filaments

http://hyper.ahajournals.org
Year of publication: 
1998
Journal name: 
Hypertension
Mechanical properties of the cells are important in controlling cell shape, cell migration, and other functions. To understand how cytoskeletal (CSK) filaments interact with one another mechanically, mechanical properties of adherent endothelial cells were analyzed after treatment with CSK-disrupting drugs. Read more »
richard.cam's picture
Created by richard.cam 2 years 8 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 8 weeks ago
Category: Cytoskeletal Dynamics   Tags:
4

Mechanotransduction across the cell surface and through the cytoskeleton

http://www.sciencemag.org
Year of publication: 
1993
Journal name: 
Science
Mechanical stresses were applied directly to cell surface receptors with a magnetic twisting device. The extracellular matrix receptor, integrin beta 1, induced focal adhesion formation and supported a force-dependent stiffening response, whereas nonadhesion receptors did not. The cytoskeletal stiffness (ratio of stress to strain) increased in direct proportion to the applied stress and required intact microtubules and intermediate filaments as well as microfilaments. Read more »
libing's picture
Created by libing 2 years 8 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 8 weeks ago
Category: Focal Adhesions   Tags:
1

Integrin-mediated mechanotransduction requires its dynamic interaction with specific extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands

http://www.pnas.org
Year of publication: 
2001
Journal name: 
The National Academy of Sciences
The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of integrins in transducing fluid shear stress into intracellular signals in vascular endothelial cells, a fundamental process in vascular biology. We demonstrated that shear stress activates specific integrins in endothelial cells plated on substrates containing the cognate extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands. Read more »
libing's picture
Created by libing 2 years 8 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 8 weeks ago
Category: Focal Adhesions   Tags:
4

Integrins in Mechanotransduction

http://www.jbc.org
Year of publication: 
2004
Journal name: 
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Mechanical forces are crucial to the regulation of cell and tissue morphology and function. At the cellular level, forces influence cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, proliferation, and survival. Integrin-mediated adhesions are intrinsically mechanosensitive and a large body of data implicates integrins in sensing mechanical forces. We review the relationship between integrins and mechanical forces, the role of integrins in cellular responses to stretch and fluid flow, and propose that some of these events are mechanistically related. Read more »
8

Molecules and Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction

http://www.jneurosci.org
Year of publication: 
2004
Journal name: 
The Journal of Neuroscience
To many animals, including humans, some of the best things in life are mechanical. Not only courtship and sex but also simple movements such as walking depend on the ability to transform mechanical energy in the form of touch, sound, and muscle tension into ionic currents. This ability is also essential for control of osmotic balance, bladder function, and blood pressure in mammals. To meet these diverse needs, animals bear numerous sensory organs that contain either ciliated or nonciliated mechanoreceptor cells. Read more »
6

Stretching Single Talin Rod Molecules Activates Vinculin Binding

http://www.sciencemag.org
Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
Science
The molecular mechanism by which a mechanical stimulus is translated into a chemical response in biological systems is still unclear. We show that mechanical stretching of single cytoplasmic proteins can activate binding of other molecules. We used magnetic tweezers, total internal reflection fluorescence, and atomic force microscopy to investigate the effect of force on the interaction between talin, a protein that links liganded membrane integrins to the cytoskeleton, and vinculin, a focal adhesion protein that is activated by talin binding, leading to reorganization of the cytoskeleton. Read more »
javad32's picture
Created by javad32 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 8 weeks ago
Category: Focal Adhesions   Tags:
5

Harmonin Mutations Cause Mechanotransduction Defects in Cochlear Hair Cells

http://www.sciencedirect.com
Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
Neuron
In hair cells, mechanotransduction channels are gated by tip links, the extracellular filaments that consist of cadherin 23 (CDH23) and protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and connect the stereocilia of each hair cell. However, which molecules mediate cadherin function at tip links is not known. Here we show that the PDZ-domain protein harmonin is a component of the upper tip-link density (UTLD), where CDH23 inserts into the stereociliary membrane. Harmonin domains that mediate interactions with CDH23 and F-actin control harmonin localization in stereocilia and are necessary for normal hearing. Read more »
nicolasgrillet's picture
Created by nicolasgrillet 2 years 16 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 16 weeks ago
Category: Mechanosensors in Sensory Cells   Tags:
5

The Structure and Regulation of Vinculin

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Year of publication: 
2006
Journal name: 
Trends Cell Biol.
Vinculin is a ubiquitously expressed actin-binding protein frequently used as a marker for both cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (focal adhesion) adherens-type junctions, but its function has remained elusive. Vinculin is made up of a globular head linked to a tail domain by a short proline-rich sequence, and an intramolecular interaction between the head and tail masks the numerous ligand-binding sites in the protein. Read more »
4

Mechano-Coupling and Regulation of Contractility by the Vinculin Tail Domain

http://www.cell.com
Year of publication: 
2008
Journal name: 
Biophysical Journal.
Vinculin binds to multiple focal adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins and has been implicated in transmitting mechanical forces between the actin cytoskeleton and integrins or cadherins. It remains unclear to what extent the mechano-coupling function of vinculin also involves signaling mechanisms. We report the effect of vinculin and its head and tail domains on force transfer across cell adhesions and the generation of contractile forces. Read more »
7

Molecular mechanics of the alpha-actinin rod domain: bending, torsional, and extensional behavior.

http://www.ploscompbiol.org
Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
PLoS Comp Bio
alpha-Actinin is an actin crosslinking molecule that can serve as a scaffold and maintain dynamic actin filament networks. As a crosslinker in the stressed cytoskeleton, alpha-actinin can retain conformation, function, and strength. alpha-Actinin has an actin binding domain and a calmodulin homology domain separated by a long rod domain. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
3

Rods-on-string idealization captures semiflexible filament dynamics.

Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
Physical Review E
This paper presents an approach to modeling the two-dimensional Brownian dynamics of semiflexible filaments in the worm-model description as uniform, isotropic, and continuously flexible. Experimental observations increasingly show that the mechanical behavior of semiflexible filament networks departs from conventional knowledge. A force-balance-based dynamic simulation of the filament networks has multiple advantages as an approach to understanding their anomalous mechanics. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
4

Rods-on-string idealization captures semiflexible filament dynamics.

http://scitation.aip.org
Year of publication: 
2009
Journal name: 
Physical Review E
This paper presents an approach to modeling the two-dimensional Brownian dynamics of semiflexible filaments in the worm-model description as uniform, isotropic, and continuously flexible. Experimental observations increasingly show that the mechanical behavior of semiflexible filament networks departs from conventional knowledge. A force-balance-based dynamic simulation of the filament networks has multiple advantages as an approach to understanding their anomalous mechanics. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
3

Molecular dynamics study of talin-vinculin binding

http://www.cell.com
Year of publication: 
2008
Journal name: 
Biophysical Journal
Cells can sense mechanical force in regulating focal adhesion assembly. One vivid example is the force-induced recruitment of vinculin to reinforce initial contacts between a cell and the extracellular matrix. Crystal structures of the unbound proteins and bound complex between the vinculin head subdomain (Vh1) and the talin vinculin binding site 1 (VBS1) indicate that vinculin undergoes a conformational change upon binding to talin. However, the molecular basis for this event and the precise nature of the binding pathway remain elusive. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
3

How force might activate talin's vinculin binding sites: SMD reveals a structural mechanism

http://www.ploscompbiol.org
Year of publication: 
2008
Journal name: 
PLoS Comp Bio
Upon cell adhesion, talin physically couples the cytoskeleton via integrins to the extracellular matrix, and subsequent vinculin recruitment is enhanced by locally applied tensile force. Since the vinculin binding (VB) sites are buried in the talin rod under equilibrium conditions, the structural mechanism of how vinculin binding to talin is force-activated remains unknown. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
3

Force-induced activation of talin and its possible role in focal adhesion mechanotransduction

http://www.jbiomech.com
Year of publication: 
2007
Journal name: 
Journal of Biomechanics
It is now well established that cells can sense mechanical force, but the mechanisms by which force is transduced into a biochemical signal remain poorly understood. One example is the recruitment of vinculin to reinforce initial contacts between a cell and the extracellular matrix (ECM) due to tensile force. Talin, an essential linking protein in an initial contact, contains at least one vinculin-binding site (VBS) that is cryptic and inactive in the native state. The N-terminal five-helix bundle of talin rod is a stable structure with a known cryptic VBS1. Read more »
mofrad's picture
Created by mofrad 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 26 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:
3

Molecular Mechanics of Filamin's Rod Domain

http://www.cell.com
Year of publication: 
2008
Journal name: 
Biophysical Journal
Rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton is integral to cell shape and function. Actin-binding proteins, e.g., filamin, can naturally contribute to the mechanics and function of the actin cytoskeleton. The molecular mechanical bases for filamin's function in actin cytoskeletal reorganization are examined here using molecular dynamics simulations. Simulations are performed by applying forces ranging from 25pN to 125pN for 2.5ns to the rod domain of filamin. Read more »
kolahi's picture
Created by kolahi 2 years 27 weeks ago – Made popular 2 years 27 weeks ago
Category: Molecular Mechanotransduction   Tags:

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