Mechanosensitive calcium flashes promote sustained RhoA activation during tight junction remodeling.

Epithelial cell-cell junctions remodel in response to mechanical stimuli to maintain barrier function. Previously, we found that local leaks in tight junctions (TJs) are rapidly repaired by local, transient RhoA activation, termed "Rho flares," but how Rho flares are regulated is unknown. Here, we discovered that intracellular calcium flashes and junction elongation are early events in the Rho flare pathway.