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Related Concept Videos

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
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...
Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors01:30

Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors

G Protein–Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to various stimuli. GPCRs regulate critical physiological pathways and are excellent drug targets for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, or Alzheimer's. Nearly 35% of approved drugs implement their therapeutic effects by selectively interacting with specific GPCRs.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or...
Signal Transduction: Overview01:26

Signal Transduction: Overview

Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Transduction01:16

Transduction

Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome are...

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Related Experiment Video

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Ex Vivo Analysis of Mechanically Activated Ca2+ Transients in Urothelial Cells
05:35

Ex Vivo Analysis of Mechanically Activated Ca2+ Transients in Urothelial Cells

Published on: September 28, 2022

Mechanotransduction.

Daniel J Tschumperlin1

  • 1Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. dtschump@hsph.harvard.edu

Comprehensive Physiology
|June 6, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cells convert physical forces into biochemical signals through mechanotransduction. This process involves the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and cell adhesions, influencing development, physiology, and disease.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Physical forces are integral to cellular processes, including development, physiological functions, and disease.
  • Mechanotransduction is the cellular mechanism for converting physical cues into biochemical signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the proximal molecular events in mechanotransduction.
  • To highlight the roles of the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and cell adhesions.
  • To discuss emerging mechanisms involving protein conformational changes and other pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on mechanotransduction mechanisms.
  • Analysis of evidence linking physical forces to cell signaling.
  • Synthesis of classical and novel mechanotransduction pathways.

Main Results:

  • Mechanotransduction involves the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and cell-matrix adhesions.
  • Mechanical loading induces protein unfolding within focal adhesions and extracellular matrix proteins.
  • Other mechanisms include stretch-activated ion channels, autocrine/paracrine signaling, and force transmission to the nucleus.

Conclusions:

  • Detailed molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction are rapidly being elucidated.
  • Understanding these pathways is crucial for exploring physiological and pathophysiological processes.
  • Mechanotransduction research opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions.