Karen A. Beningo

TL;DR: Traction stress generated by fibroblasts expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-zyxin is mapped and it is revealed that the faint, small adhesions near the leading edge transmit strong propulsive tractions, whereas large, bright, mature focal adhesion exert weaker forces.

TL;DR: When presented with particles of identical chemical properties but different rigidity, macrophages showed a strong preference to engulf rigid objects, suggesting a Rac1-dependent mechanosensory mechanism for phagocytosis which probably plays an important role in a number of physiological and pathological processes from embryonic development to autoimmune diseases.

TL;DR: It is suggested that fibroblasts respond to both spatial distribution and mechanical input of anchored ECM receptors, which affect diverse cellular activities, including gene expression, growth, and differentiation, as shown in numerous previous studies.

TL;DR: Time-lapse video microscopic analysis of macrophages containing rhodamine-labeled actin and fluorescein dextran showed that actin was concentrated at the distal margins of closing phagosomes, suggesting that myosin IC mediates the purse-string-like contraction that closes phagosome.

TL;DR: Combining these methods with other approaches, such as green-fluorescent protein (GFP) imaging and gene manipulation, proves to be particularly powerful for analyzing the interplay between extracellular physical forces and intracellular chemical events.