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Related Concept Videos

Integrins01:10

Integrins

Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Activation of Integrins01:15

Activation of Integrins

Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
Anchoring Junctions01:03

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...

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Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
07:55

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

Published on: March 8, 2017

The integrin adhesion complex changes its composition and function during morphogenesis of an epithelium.

Isabelle Delon1, Nicholas H Brown

  • 1Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.

Journal of Cell Science
|November 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell adhesion involves integrins linking the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. Changes in integrin type during development regulate cell shape and tissue formation by altering actin stress fibers.

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Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification
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Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification

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Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
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Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes

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Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
07:55

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

Published on: March 8, 2017

Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification
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Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
09:14

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes

Published on: June 13, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for tissue integrity and cell shape.
  • Integrins are transmembrane receptors mediating cell-ECM interactions, linking ECM ligands to the cytoskeleton.
  • An intracellular protein complex connects integrins to actin filaments and regulates signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamic changes in focal adhesion composition during tissue morphogenesis.
  • To understand the role of integrin switching in regulating cytoskeletal rearrangements.
  • To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying integrin-mediated cell shape changes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of focal adhesion composition during tissue development.
  • Monitoring of actin-nucleating factors (Enabled, Diaphanous, profilin) and F-actin levels.
  • Investigating the role of specific integrin subunits (alphaPS1betaPS, alphaPS2betaPS) and their extracellular domains.

Main Results:

  • Early alphaPS1betaPS integrin expression reduced actin-nucleating factors and F-actin in stress fibers.
  • A switch from alphaPS1betaPS to alphaPS2betaPS integrin occurred during follicle cell maturation.
  • AlphaPS2betaPS integrin expression facilitated stress fiber reorientation and tensin recruitment via its extracellular domain.

Conclusions:

  • Focal adhesion composition dynamically changes during tissue morphogenesis.
  • Integrin molecular variation is essential for developmentally programmed changes in cell shape and tissue structure.
  • The extracellular portion of integrin subunits dictates specific intracellular protein recruitment, influencing cytoskeletal organization.