Focal adhesion articles from across Nature Portfolio

PI3 kinase is known to promote cell migration through its catalytic activity. Here, the authors show that the kinase also induces endocytosis through a non-catalytic pathway that actually decreases migratory speed and persistence, revealing a more subtle regulation of motility.

Focal adhesions are dynamic structures that link the cell to the extracellular matrix. Here, the authors report that focal adhesions contain tropomyosin-decorated actin filaments, and show evidence that suggests specific functions in adhesion dynamics and cell migration.

Cells employ integrin-based adhesions with different molecular compositions to adhere to substrates. Here, the authors show that so-called “non-canonical” adhesions lacking focal adhesion components can convert to focal adhesions (and vice versa), through the selective exchange of components.

Focal adhesion proteins transmit intracellular forces to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, the authors show a force transmission by elastic transient clutch of Talin between ECM and constantly flowing F-actin at focal adhesions.

Regulation of endothelial barrier function is critical to physiological function of the vasculature, which must dynamically change in many physiologic and pathologic settings. A new study emphasizes the complex relationship between VE-cadherin phosphorylation and vascular leak and the critical role of the tyrosine kinase Yes in this process.

While integrin-based adhesions are thought to underlie many aspects of cell response to localized tension, another matrix receptor, syndecan-4, has now been shown to act as a mechanosensor, which triggers cell-wide integrin activation and adhesion reinforcement.

Integrin-based focal adhesions integrate biochemical and biomechanical signals from the extracellular matrix and the actin cytoskeleton. The combination of three-dimensional super-resolution imaging and loss- or gain-of-function protein mutants now links the nanoscale dynamic localization of proteins to their activation and function within focal adhesions.