title: Chapter 1. Focal adhesions: new angles on an old structure.
abstract: Focal adhesions have been intensely studied ever since their discovery in 1971. The last three decades have seen major advances in understanding the structure of focal adhesions and the functions they serve in cellular adhesion, migration, and other biological processes. In this chapter, we begin with a historical perspective of focal adhesions, provide an overview of focal adhesion biology, and highlight recent major advances in the field. Specifically, we review the different types of matrix adhesions and the role different Rho GTPases play in their formation. We discuss the relative contributions of integrin and syndecan adhesion receptors to the formation of focal adhesions. We also focus on new insights gained from studying focal adhesions on biomaterial surfaces and from the growing field of mechanotransduction. Throughout this chapter, we have highlighted areas of focal adhesion biology where major questions still remain to be answered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, CB#7295, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Adi D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Dubash
authors.forename: Marisa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Menold
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boulter
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García-Mata
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doughman
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burridge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins