ArticleScience advances2025
The mechanical response of vinculin.
Article in Science advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- [Mechanobiology of peripheral nerve development: mechanical properties, sensing, and response].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2026Review
- Podosomes and Mechanical Force.Results and problems in cell differentiation · 2026Review
- Decoding force-transmission linkages for therapeutic targeting and engineering.APL bioengineering · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
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Abstract
Vinculin is a mechanosensitive adaptor that links actin to cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions. Known as a mechanoeffector, it is recruited to adhesion sites under force via mechanotransducers talin and α-catenin. Here, we examine vinculin's mechanical properties to assess its role as a mechanotransducer. We find that at physiological loading rates, vinculin domains unfold at forces of 5 to 15 pN and refold rapidly when forces drop to 1 pN. This behavior is reminiscent of force-dependent switches in talin and α-catenin, suggesting vinculin domains also function as molecular switches. Unfolding induces large extension changes up to 150 nm in steps of 20 to 30 nm. These findings reveal that vinculin exhibits a previously unrecognized mechanical response, with dynamic folding/unfolding under force acting as a buffering mechanism. Given its role as a scaffold for many proteins, this mechanosensitive behavior supports a model where vinculin functions directly as a mechanotransducer, recruiting binding partners in a force-dependent manner.
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