ROLE OF INTEGRINS IN CELLULAR-RESPONSES TO MECHANICAL-STRESS AND ADHESION

Mechanical stresses are important environmental cues for both normal c ellular functions and pathophysiological changes in conditions such as cardiac hypertrophy and atherosclerosis. There is increasing evidence that mechanotransduction processes in response to mechanical stresses share many common features with processes in cell adhesion, such as a n increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in the focal adhesi on sites. Recent findings suggest that integrins may function as mecha notransducers in cells.