Integrin diversity brings specificity in mechanotransduction
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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Imaging Integrin Tension and Cellular Force at Submicron Resolution with an Integrative Tension Sensor
Published on: April 25, 2019
Shailaja Seetharaman1,2, Sandrine Etienne-Manneville1
1Institut Pasteur Paris CNRS UMR3691, Cell Polarity, Migration and Cancer Unit, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris Cedex 15, France.
Abstract:
Cells sense and respond to the biochemical and physical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) through adhesive structures that bridge the cell cytoskeleton and the surrounding environment. Integrin-mediated adhesions interact with specific ECM proteins and sense the rigidity of the substrate to trigger signalling pathways that, in turn, regulate cellular processes such as adhesion, motility, proliferation and differentiation. This process, called mechanotransduction, influenced by the involvement of different integrin subtypes and their high ECM-ligand binding specificity, contributes to the cell-type-specific mechanical responses. In this review, we describe how the expression of particular integrin subtypes affects cellular adaptation to substrate rigidity. We then explain the role of integrins and associated proteins in mechanotransduction, focusing on their specificity in mechanosensing and force transmission.
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