title: Using force to visualize conformational activation of integrins.
abstract: The development of biophysical approaches to analyze integrin-ligand binding allows us to visualize in real time the conformational changes that shift the bond affinity between low- and high-affinity states. In this issue, Chen et al. (2012. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/jcb.201201091) use these approaches to validate some aspects of the classical integrin regulation model; however, their data suggest that much of the regulation occurs after ligand binding rather than in preparation for ligand binding to occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. boettige@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boettiger
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1