fig4

Figure 4. Schematic illustration of mechanical interfaces and components of mechanotransduction. Cells perceive mechanical cues at their interfaces with other cells, ECM, and intravascular (or transcellular) fluids and covert these signals into biochemical and transcriptional information. Mechanosensors (green) at the cell surface (e.g., AJ at the cell-cell interface or FA at the cell-ECM interface) and nuclear membrane (e.g., LINC and NPC) either convey information through the physical connection between the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton (mechanotransmission) or convey information through biochemical signaling pathways utilizing enzyme cascades and soluble signaling intermediates (yellow). AJ: Adherens junction; ECM: extracellular matrix; FA: focal adhesion; LINC: linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton; NPC: nuclear pore complex.