title: Theory of force regulation by nascent adhesion sites.
abstract: The mechanical coupling of a cell with the extracellular matrix relies on adhesion sites, clusters of membrane-associated proteins that communicate forces generated along the F-Actin filaments of the cytoskeleton to connecting tissue. Nascent adhesion sites have been shown to regulate these forces in response to tissue rigidity. Force-regulation by substrate rigidity of adhesion sites with fixed area is not possible for stationary adhesion sites, according to elasticity theory. A simple model is presented to describe force regulation by dynamical adhesion sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California at Los Angeles, USA. bruinsma@physics.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Robijn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D039641:Integrin beta Chains / Q000737:chemistry; D008024:Ligands; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013816:Thermodynamics; D000267:Tissue Adhesions
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D039641:Integrin beta Chains; D008024:Ligands