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Dynamic molecular processes mediate cellular mechanotransduction

Abstract

Cellular responses to mechanical forces are crucial in embryonic development and adult physiology, and are involved in numerous diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, myopathies and cancer. These responses are mediated by load-bearing subcellular structures, such as the plasma membrane, cell-adhesion complexes and the cytoskeleton. Recent work has demonstrated that these structures are dynamic, undergoing assembly, disassembly and movement, even when ostensibly stable. An emerging insight is that transduction of forces into biochemical signals occurs within the context of these processes. This framework helps to explain how forces of varying strengths or dynamic characteristics regulate distinct signalling pathways.

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Figure 1: Switch-like models of mechanotransduction.
Figure 2: The focal-adhesion clutch.
Figure 3: Dynamic aspects of mechanotransduction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by R01 grant HL075092 from the US Public Health Service to M.A.S. and by a fellowship from the American Heart Association to B.D.H.

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Hoffman, B., Grashoff, C. & Schwartz, M. Dynamic molecular processes mediate cellular mechanotransduction. Nature 475, 316–323 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10316

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