Mutations of the tumor suppressor TP53 are present in many forms of human cancer and are associated with increased tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Several mechanisms have been identified for promoting dissemination of cancer cells with TP53 mutations, including increased…
SHARPIN regulates uropod detachment in migrating lymphocytes by Jeroen Pouwels et al.
SHARPIN-deficient mice display a multiorgan chronic inflammatory phenotype suggestive of altered leukocyte migration. We therefore studied the role of SHARPIN in lymphocyte adhesion, polarization, and migration. We found that SHARPIN localizes to the trailing edges (uropods) of both mouse and…
Integrin-specific control of focal adhesion kinase and RhoA regulates membrane protrusion and invasion by Patricia Costa et al.
Cell invasion through extracellular matrix (ECM) is a hallmark of the metastatic cascade. Cancer cells require adhesion to surrounding tissues for efficient migration to occur, which is mediated through the integrin family of receptors. Alterations in expression levels of β1…
A ZO-1/α5β1-integrin complex regulates cytokinesis downstream of PKCε in NCI-H460 cells plated on fibronectin by Saara Hämälistö et al.
Recently, we demonstrated that integrin adhesion to the extracellular matrix at the cleavage furrow is essential for cytokinesis of adherent cells. Here, we report that tight junction protein ZO-1 (Zonula Occludens-1) is required for successful cytokinesis in NCI-H460 cells plated…
Molecular mechanism of T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) activation by mitoxantrone by Mikko Ylilauri et al.
T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) is a ubiquitously expressed non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase. It is involved in the negative regulation of many cellular signaling pathways. Thus, activation of TCPTP could have important therapeutic applications in diseases such as cancer and…
Integrin inactivators: balancing cellular functions in vitro and in vivo by Daniel Bouvard et al.
Integrins mediate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions and integrate extracellular cues to the cytoskeleton and cellular signalling pathways. Integrin function on the cell surface is regulated by their activity switching such that intracellular proteins interacting with the integrin cytoplasmic domains increase…
Aneuploidy facilitates oncogenic transformation via specific genetic alterations, including Twist2 upregulation by Gunilla Högnäs et al.
Aneuploidy, deviation from the normal chromosome number, and other chromosomal aberrations are commonly observed in cancer. Integrin-mediated adhesion and dynamic turnover of adhesion sites are required for successful cytokinesis of normal adherent cells and impaired cell division can lead to…
Identification of protein interactions involved in cellular signaling by Jukka Westermarck et al.
Protein-protein interactions drive biological processes. They are critical for all intra- and extracellular functions, and the technologies to analyze them are widely applied throughout the various fields of biological sciences. This study takes an in-depth view of some common principles…
Unanchoring integrins in focal adhesions by Johanna Ivaska et al.
Focal adhesions are large structures through which integrins and scaffold proteins link the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. A detailed analysis of integrin dynamics now indicates that focal-adhesion-associated integrins constantly switch between active and immobilized, and unbound and free-diffusing…
The R-Ras/RIN2/Rab5 complex controls endothelial cell adhesion and morphogenesis via active integrin endocytosis and Rac signaling by Chiara Sandri et al.
During developmental and tumor angiogenesis, semaphorins regulate blood vessel navigation by signaling through plexin receptors that inhibit the R-Ras subfamily of small GTPases. R-Ras is mainly expressed in vascular cells, where it induces adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) through…