Integrins are a family of adhesion proteins that interact with and sense neighbouring cells and the surrounding extracellular environment. They project from the surface of cells like antennae and transmit signals back and forth between the cell and its surroundings – this signalling controls a wide range of important cellular functions.

A network of cell adhesion proteins in the constellation of the proteome

Amazingly, to signal, the integrin molecules change shape in the cell membrane, twisting from a compact “inactive” position to an extended “active” position. Depending on the shape of the integrins, different proteins attach to them to assist in the signalling process. But which proteins bind to different conformations of integrins, and how does this change the behaviour of a cell in response to its surroundings?

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Cells are connected to their surroundings by cell adhesion complexes, collections of interacting proteins that transmit cellular signals between the outside and the inside of the cell. This signalling allows a cell to sense its environment and respond in remarkable ways, such as by moving, secreting proteins or changing into a different type of cell. But how do cell adhesion complexes receive and integrate these cellular signals?

Network of adhesion complex changes upon cytoskeletal disruption

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