http://www.sciencedirect.com – Deletion or mutation of a variety of proteins localized at cell-matrix and cell-cell junctions, such as vinculin and its splice-variant metavinculin, can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy in mice and humans, leading some to hypothesize that these molecules are involved in mechanotransmission or mechanotransduction in the heart. To investigate cardiac mechanotransduction mechanisms in single cells, we have combined laser tweezers with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor to apply localized forces and probe localized signaling events in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes. Read more »