title: Focal adhesion motility revealed in stationary fibroblasts.
abstract: Focal adhesions (FAs) are clustered integrins and associated proteins that mediate cell adhesion and signaling. A green fluorescent protein-beta1 integrin chimera was used to label FAs in living cells. In stationary cells, FAs were highly motile, moving linearly for several plaque lengths toward the cell center. FA motility was independent of cell density and resulted from contraction of associated actin fibers. In migrating cells, FAs were stationary and only moved in the tail. FA motility in stationary cells suggests that cell movement may be regulated by a clutch-like mechanism by which the affinity of integrins to substrate may be altered in response to migratory cues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Smilenov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikhailov
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pelham
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Marcantonio
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Gundersen
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002452:Cell Count; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005453:Fluorescence; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019012:Integrin beta1; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins