title: Exploring the neighborhood: adhesion-coupled cell mechanosensors.
abstract: Here we discuss recent studies addressing adhesion-coupled mechanosensory processes and consider their molecular nature. Are cells using stretch-activated ion channels to explore the extracellular environment surrounding them, or do they use for that purpose the submembrane protein network that interconnects integrin receptors with the actin cytoskeleton?
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot, Israel. benny.geiger@weizmann.ac.il
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bershadsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000502:physiology*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000378:metabolism*