A mechanosensitive circuit of FAK, ROCK, and ERK controls biomineral growth and morphology in the sea urchin embryo.

Biomineralization is the utilization of different minerals by a vast array of organisms to form hard tissues and shape them in various forms. Within this diversity, a common feature of all mineralized tissues is their high stiffness, implying that mechanosensing could be commonly used in biomineralization. Yet, the role of mechanosensing in biomineralization is far from clear.