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Focal contacts: Transmembrane links between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton
Author(s) -
Burridge Keith,
Fath Karl
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950100403
Subject(s) - focal adhesion , vinculin , fibronectin , vitronectin , extracellular matrix , microbiology and biotechnology , integrin , cytoskeleton , actin cytoskeleton , transmembrane protein , actin , ptk2 , cytoplasm , biology , chemistry , receptor , signal transduction , biochemistry , cell , mitogen activated protein kinase kinase , protein kinase c
The sites of tightest adhesion that form between cells and substrate surfaces in tissue culture are termed focal contacts. The external faces of focal contacts include specific receptors, belonging to the integrin family of proteins, for fibronectin and vitronectin, two common components of extracellular matrices. On the internal (cytoplasmic) side of focal contacts, several proteins, including talin and vinculin, mediate interactions with the actin filament bundles of the cytoskeleton. The changes that occur in focal contacts as a result of viral transformation are discussed.