title: Comparing mechano-transduction in fibroblasts deficient of focal adhesion proteins.
abstract: Mechano-transduction was studied in wildtype and focal adhesion (FA) protein-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Using a cell stretcher, we determined the effect of stretch on cell morphology, apoptosis, and phosphorylation of ERK(1/2). After 20% cyclic, uniaxial stretch, FA-deficient MEFs showed morphological changes and levels of apoptosis of the order: focal adhesion kinase>p130Cas>vinculin compared to wildtype cells. ERK(1/2) phosphorylation peaked in wildtype cells at around 10 min, and in all FA-deficient cells at around 5 min. The relative change in strain energy of FA-deficient cells compared to wildtype cells was of the order: vinculin>FAK>p130Cas. Taken together, FAK and p130Cas are more important in the stretch-mediated downstream signaling and cell survival pathway, while vinculin is more critical in maintaining cell contractility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tuli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Wolfgang H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Goldmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D050719:Crk-Associated Substrate Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000235:genetics*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D016596:Vinculin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D050719:Crk-Associated Substrate Protein; D016596:Vinculin; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases