Focal Adhesion Kinase: The Reversible Molecular Mechanosensor

Sensors are the first element of the pathways that control the response of cells to their environment. Protein complexes that produce or enable a chemical signal in response to a mechanical stimulus are called "mechanosensors". In this work, we develop a theoretical model describing the physical mechanism of a reversible single-molecule stiffness sensor. Although this has the potential for general application, here we apply the model to focal adhesion kinase, which initiates the chemical signal in its active phosphorylated conformation, but can spontaneously return to its closed folded conformation.

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