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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Live Cell Response to Mechanical Stimulation Studied by Integrated Optical and Atomic Force Microscopy
Published on: October 4, 2010
Focal contacts: transmembrane links between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton
Abstract:
The sites of tightest adhesion that form between cells and substrate surfaces in tissue culture are termed focal contacts. The external faces of focal contacts include specific receptors, belonging to the integrin family of proteins, for fibronectin and vitronectin, two common components of extracellular matrices. On the internal (cytoplasmic) side of focal contacts, several proteins, including talin and vinculin, mediate interactions with the actin filament bundles of the cytoskeleton. The changes that occur in focal contacts as a result of viral transformation are discussed.
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