Immediate-early genes (IEGs) can be activated and transcribed within minutes after
stimulation, without the need for de novo protein synthesis, and they are stimulated in …

Numerous physiological and pathological stimuli promote the rearrangement of the actin
cytoskeleton, thereby modulating cellular motile functions. Although it seems intuitively …

The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix have recently been shown to promote
myofibroblast differentiation and lung fibrosis. Mechanisms by which matrix stiffness …

The vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) in adult animals is a highly specialized cell whose
principal function is contraction. However, this cell displays remarkable plasticity and can …

Both the MRTF–SRF and the YAP–TEAD transcriptional regulatory networks respond to
extracellular signals and mechanical stimuli. We show that the MRTF–SRF pathway is …

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal fibrotic lung disorder with no effective medical
treatments available. The generation of myofibroblasts, which are critical for fibrogenesis …

Actin, which is best known as a cytoskeletal component, also participates in the control of
gene expression. We report a function of nuclear actin in the regulation of MAL, a coactivator …

Smooth muscle cells switch between differentiated and proliferative phenotypes in response
to extracellular cues, but the transcriptional mechanisms that confer such phenotypic …

The vast diversity of cellular types and behaviours is mainly the result of combinatorial
interactions between a limited number of transcription factors and cellular signalling …

Rho GTPases control cytoskeletal dynamics through cytoplasmic effectors and regulate
transcriptional activation through myocardin-related transcription factors (MRTFs), which are …