Mechanical forces play an important role in the organization, growth, maturation, and function of living tissues. At the cellular level, many of the biological responses to external forces originate at two types of specialized microscale structures: focal adhesions that link cells to their surrounding extracellular matrix and adherens junctions that link adjacent cells. Transmission of forces from outside the cell through cell-matrix and cell-cell contacts appears to control the maturation or disassembly of these adhesions and initiates intracellular signaling cascades that ultimately alter many cellular behaviors. In response to externally applied forces, cells actively rearrange the organization and contractile activity of the cytoskeleton and redistribute their intracellular forces. Recent studies suggest that the localized concentration of these cytoskeletal tensions at adhesions is also a major mediator of mechanical signaling. This review summarizes the role of mechanical forces in the formation, stabilization, and dissociation of focal adhesions and adherens junctions and outlines how integration of signals from these adhesions over the entire cell body affects how a cell responds to its mechanical environment. This review also describes advanced optical, lithographic, and computational techniques for the study of mechanotransduction.

中文翻译：

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细胞基质和细胞间接触处的机械传导。

机械力在活组织的组织，生长，成熟和功能中起着重要作用。在细胞水平上，许多对外力的生物学反应起源于两种类型的特殊的微尺度结构：将细胞连接到其周围细胞外基质的粘着斑和连接相邻细胞的粘附连接。通过细胞基质和细胞间接触从细胞外部传递力似乎可以控制这些粘附的成熟或分解，并引发细胞内信号传导级联，最终改变许多细胞行为。响应于外部施加的力，细胞积极地重新排列细胞骨架的组织和收缩活性，并重新分布其细胞内力。最近的研究表明，粘连时这些细胞骨架张力的局部集中也是机械信号传递的主要介质。这篇综述总结了机械力在局灶性粘附和粘附连接的形成，稳定和解离中的作用，并概述了来自这些粘附的信号在整个细胞体上的整合如何影响细胞对其机械环境的反应。这篇综述还描述了用于机械转导研究的先进光学，光刻和计算技术。以及局部粘着和粘附连接的分离，并概述了来自这些粘着的信号在整个细胞体上的整合如何影响细胞对其机械环境的反应。这篇综述还描述了用于机械转导研究的先进光学，光刻和计算技术。以及局部粘着和粘附连接的分离，并概述了来自这些粘着的信号在整个细胞体上的整合如何影响细胞对其机械环境的反应。这篇综述还描述了用于机械转导研究的先进光学，光刻和计算技术。