Ordered adhesions

Focal adhesions

What are they? Focal adhesions are the anchor points of the cell. These dynamic cytoskeletal structures are regions where the cell membrane firmly attaches to the extracellular matrix or the substratum. At the same time, focal adhesions provide scaffolding; they associate with an elaborate actin network inside the cell. Importantly, it’s now known that focal adhesions also act as communication ...

Pelvic adhesions

Integrin adhesions

Cell migration requires the coordination of adhesion site assembly and turnover. Canonical models for nascent adhesion formation postulate that integrin binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins results in the rapid recruitment of cytoskeletal proteins such as talin and paxillin to integrin cytoplasmic domains. It is thought that integrin-talin clusters recruit and activate tyrosine kinase...

Perihepatic Adhesions: Another Look

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to determine if pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was the only cause of perihepatic adhesions. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients undergoing elective sterilization by laparoscopy were enrolled in this study. The preoperative workup included a history, physical examination, cervical culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis, leuk...

Mechanotransduction and focal adhesions.

Cellular FAs (focal adhesions) respond to internal and external mechanical stresses which make them prime candidates for mechanotransduction. Recent observations showed that the FA proteins including vinculin, FAK (FA kinase) and p130Cas are crucial for the ability of cells to transmit forces and to generate cytoskeletal tension. When mechanically stimulated, cells respond by modulating the spr...