Spatial and temporal regulation of integrin signalling during cell migration

摘要

Cell adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins is a fundamental requirement for tissue morphogenesis, development and maintenance through regulation of cellular responses to changing environments and co-ordinating efficient cell migration in normal and diseased states. As such, adhesions are highly dynamic hubs that act to spatially regulate signalling events that drive changes in cell shape and movement in a variety of contexts. At the heart of these hubs are the integrin family of ECM receptors that are responsible for the initial assembly of adhesions and trigger subsequent signalling events. Well over a hundred proteins are now known to be recruited to adhesions and increasing efforts are now underway to dissect the dynamic behaviour of these molecules and their relative contributions. Here we focus on some of the recent findings in this field and examine how revealing spatial control of adhesion molecules contributes towards our overall understanding of cell motility.