All subdomains of the talin rod are mechanically vulnerable and may contribute to cellular mechanosensing
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Haining, AW
von Essen, M
Attwood, SJ
Hytonen, VP
del Rio Hernandez, A
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Although the relevance of mechanotransduction in cell signaling is currently appreciated, the mechanisms that drive this process remain largely unknown. Mechanical unfolding of proteins may trigger distinct downstream signals in cells, providing a mechanism for cellular mechanotransduction. Force-induced unfolding of talin, a prominent focal adhesion protein, has been demonstrated previously for a small portion of its rod domain. Here, using single-molecule atomic force microscopy (smAFM), we show that the entire talin rod can be unfolded by mechanical extension, over a physiological range of forces between 10 and 40 pN. We also demonstrate, through a combination of smAFM and steered molecular dynamics, that the different bundles within the talin rod exhibit a distinct hierarchy of mechanical stability. These results provide a mechanism by which different force conditions within the cell control a graduated unfolding of the talin rod. Mechanical unfolding of the rod subdomains, and the subsequent effect on talin’s binding interactions, would allow for a finely tuned cellular response to internally or externally applied forces.
Date Issued
2016-07-26
Date Acceptance
2016-07-05
Citation
ACS Nano, 2016, 10 (7), pp.6648-6658
ISSN
1936-0851
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
6648
End Page
6658
Journal / Book Title
ACS Nano
Volume
10
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2016 American Chemical Society. ACS AuthorChoice - This is an open access article published under an ACS AuthorChoice License, which permits copying and redistribution of the article or any adaptations for non-commercial purposes.(http://pubs.acs.org/page/policy/authorchoice_termsofuse.html)
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Identifier
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.6b01658
Grant Number
282051
Subjects
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2016-07-05