Abstract
Focal adhesions and the cell cytoskeleton (intermediate filaments, microfilaments, microtubules) are involved in mechanotransduction—both direct (transduction of mechanical forces to the nucleus) and indirect (transduction of chemical signaling cascades to the nucleus). Thus, observation of changes in focal adhesion and cytoskeletal organization can be invaluable in research such as drug treatments and medical material testing in vitro.
Here we describe how to stain human fibroblasts for vinculin (located to focal adhesions), actin (microfilaments), tubulin (microtubules), and vimentin (intermediate filaments) and how to perform custom microarray experiments. Comparative analysis of the immunofluorescence and array data should allow the researcher to build up a global picture of changes to both direct and indirect mechanotransduction through the cytoskeleton from focal adhesions.
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© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
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Dalby, M.J., Yarwood, S.J. (2007). Analysis of Focal Adhesions and Cytoskeleton by Custom Microarray. In: Coutts, A.S. (eds) Adhesion Protein Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 370. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-353-0_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-353-0_10
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-533-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-353-0
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