title: Dynamics and morphology of focal adhesions in complex 3D environment.
abstract: Focal adhesions are specific types of cellular           adhesion structures through which both mechanical           force and regulatory signals are transmitted.           Recently, the existence of focal adhesions in 3D environment           has been questioned. Using a unique life-like           model of dermis-based matrix we analysed the presence           of focal adhesions in a complex 3D environment.           Although the dermis-based matrix constitutes a 3D           environment, the interface of cell-to-matrix contacts           on thick bundled fibres within this matrix resembles           2D conditions. We call this a quasi-2D situation. We           suggest that the quasi-2D interface of cell-to-matrix           contacts constituted in the dermis-based matrix is           much closer to in tissue conditions than the meshed           structure of mostly uniform thin fibres in the           gel-based matrices. In agreement with our assumption,           we found that the cell adhesion structures are           formed by cells that invade the dermis-based matrix           and that these structures are of similar size as focal           adhesions formed on fibronectin-coated coverslips           (2D). In both 2D situation and the dermis-based matrix,           we observed comparable vinculin dynamics in           focal adhesions and comparable enlargement of the           focal adhesions in response to a MEK inhibitor. We           conclude that focal adhesions that are formed in the           3D environment are similar in size and dynamics as           those seen in the 2D setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tolde
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rösel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janoštiak
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veselý
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brábek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020405:Dermis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D036681:Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D034421:Sus scrofa
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases