▪ Abstract Focal adhesions are sites of tight adhesion to the underlying extracellular matrix
developed by cells in culture. They provide a structural link between the actin cytoskeleton …

While CaMKII has long been known to be essential for synaptic plasticity and learning,
recent work points to new dimensions of CaMKII function in the nervous system, revealing …

The endothelial cell (EC) lining of the pulmonary vasculature forms a semipermeable barrier
between the blood and the interstitium of the lung. Disruption of this barrier occurs during …

Focal adhesions are mechanosensitive elements that enable mechanical communication
between cells and the extracellular matrix. Here, we demonstrate a major mechanosensitive …

Integrin receptors connect the extracellular matrix to the actin cytoskeleton. This interaction
can be viewed as a cyclical liaison, which develops again and again at new adhesion sites …

From the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, a network of molecular links connects cells
to their environment. Molecules in this network transmit and detect mechanical forces, which …

Integrins are a large family of cell surface receptors that mediate cell adhesion and influence
migration, signal transduction, and gene expression. The cytoplasmic domains of integrins …

Bones serve several mechanical functions, including acoustic amplification in the middle
ear, shielding vital organs from trauma, and serving as levers for muscles to contract against …

The skeleton's primary mechanical function is to provide rigid levers for muscles to act
against as they hold the body upright in defiance of gravity. Many bones are exposed to …

Cell biologists have undergone a fundamental revision in their thinking in the past 20 years,
with the realization that cells are far more elegant and efficient than was previously believed …