It took more than 100 years before it was established that the proteins that form intermediate
filaments (IFs) comprise a unified protein family, the members of which are ubiquitous in …

Mechanically induced signal transduction has an essential role in development. Cells
actively transduce and respond to mechanical signals and their internal architecture must …

Vimentin is used widely as a marker of the epithelial to mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) that
take place during embryogenesis and metastasis, yet the functional implications of the …

The diversity of epithelial functions is reflected by the expression of distinct keratin pairs that
are responsible to protect epithelial cells against mechanical stress and to act as signaling …

Epithelia are exposed to multiple forms of stress. Keratin intermediate filaments are
abundant in epithelia and form cytoskeletal networks that contribute to cell type–specific …

The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix dictate tissue behaviour. In epithelial
tissues, laminin is a very abundant extracellular matrix component and a key supporting …

Over the past 50 y, behavioral experiments have produced a large body of evidence for the
existence of a magnetic sense in a wide range of animals. However, the underlying sensory …

Cell migration and invasion are largely dependent on the complex organization of the
various cytoskeletal components. Whereas the role of actin filaments and microtubules in …

The effects of shear stress on the keratin intermediate filament (KIF) cytoskeleton of cultured
human alveolar epithelial (A549) cells have been investigated. Under normal culture …

The mechanical properties of vertebrate cells are largely defined by the system of
intermediate filaments (IF). As part of a dense network, IF polymers are constantly …