Kindlin is mechanosensitive: A force-induced conformational switch mediates crosstalk among integrins

Mechanical stresses directly regulate the function of several proteins of the integrin-mediated focal adhesion complex as they experience intra- and extra-cellular forces. Kindlin is a largely overlooked member of the focal adhesion complex whose roles in cellular mechanotransduction are only recently being identified. Recent crystallographic experiments have revealed that kindlins can form dimers that bind simultaneously to two integrins providing a mechanistic explanation of how kindlins may promote integrin activation and clustering.

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