Vinculin-Arp2/3 interaction inhibits branched actin assembly to control migration and proliferation.

Vinculin is a mechanotransducer that reinforces links between cell adhesions and linear arrays of actin filaments upon myosin-mediated contractility. Both adhesions to the substratum and neighboring cells, however, are initiated within membrane protrusions that originate from Arp2/3-nucleated branched actin networks. Vinculin has been reported to interact with the Arp2/3 complex, but the role of this interaction remains poorly understood.

Talin and vinculin combine their activities to trigger actin assembly.

Focal adhesions (FAs) strengthen their link with the actin cytoskeleton to resist force. Talin-vinculin association could reinforce actin anchoring to FAs by controlling actin polymerization. However, the actin polymerization activity of the talin-vinculin complex is not known because it requires the reconstitution of the mechanical and biochemical activation steps that control the association of talin and vinculin.

Quantum Dot-Based FRET Nanosensors for Talin-Membrane Assembly and Mechanosensing.

Understanding the mechanisms of assembly and disassembly of macromolecular structures in cells relies on solving biomolecular interactions. However, those interactions often remain unclear because tools to track molecular dynamics are not sufficiently resolved in time or space. In this study, we present a straightforward method for resolving inter- and intra-molecular interactions in cell adhesive machinery, using quantum dot (QD) based Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanosensors.

Do Behavioral Characteristics Influence the Breast Cancer Diagnosis Delay? Evidence From French Retrospective Data.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the behavioral determinants of breast cancer (BC) diagnosis delays in France. To do so, we investigated whether time discounting, risk tolerance, and personality traits influenced the BC diagnosis delay of patients.

Methods: We used original retrospective data collected on 2 large online patient networks from 402 women diagnosed of BC.

Integrin Facilitates the Internalization of TAT Peptide Conjugated to RGD Motif in Model Lipid Membranes.

In recent years, targeted drug delivery has attracted a great interest for enhanced therapeutic efficiency, with diminished side effects, especially in cancer therapy. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) like HIV1-TAT peptides, appear to be the perfect vectors for translocating drugs or other cargoes across the plasma membrane, but their application is limited mostly due to insufficient specificity for intended targets. Although these molecules were successfully used, the mechanism by which the peptides enter the cell interior still needs to be clarified.