In addition to biochemical signals and genetic considerations, mechanical forces are rapidly emerging as a master regulator of human physiology. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate force-induced functionalities across a wide range of scales, encompassing the cell, tissue or organ levels, are not well understood in comparison. With the advent, development and refining of single-molecule nanomechanical techniques that enable the conformational dynamics of individual proteins under the effect of a calibrated force to be probed, we have begun to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the diverse physicochemical principles that regulate the elasticity of single proteins. Here, we review the major advances underpinning our current understanding of how the elasticity of single proteins regulates mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. We discuss the present limitations and future challenges of this prolific and burgeoning field.

除了生化信号和遗传因素之外，机械力正迅速成为人类生理学的主要调节器。然而，相比之下，在广泛的尺度（包括细胞、组织或器官水平）上调节力诱导功能的分子机制尚不清楚。随着单分子纳米机械技术的出现、发展和完善，这些技术能够探测单个蛋白质在校准力作用下的构象动力学，我们已经开始全面了解调节蛋白质弹性的多种物理化学原理。单一蛋白质。在这里，我们回顾了支持我们目前对单一蛋白质的弹性如何调节机械传感和机械转导的理解的主要进展。我们讨论这个多产且新兴的领域目前的局限性和未来的挑战。