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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jul 24.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2014 Oct 22;15(12):802–812. doi: 10.1038/nrm3896

Fig. 4. Force-mediated regulation of integrin adhesions.

Fig. 4

a| Schematic drawing of the “focal adhesion clutch”. The immobile integrins are coupled to the filamentous actin (F-actin) via linker proteins (for example, talin and vinculin) that can move (as indicated by the small arrows) as the F-actin moves rearward under pushing forces from actin polymerization or pulling forces from myosin II activity. A stiff matrix resists this force. b| A compliant matrix deforms under the force of F-actin flow (as indicated by the compressed actin fibers), which reduces the net loading rate on intracellular components and results in an altered cellular response.