Vinculin is a critical cytoskeletal protein that plays a significant role in cell adhesion, migration, and mechanical force transmission. It is highly enriched in regions where cells contact one another and the underlying substratum. Vinculin is involved in the formation and stabilization of focal adhesions, which are essential for cell-matrix interactions. It binds to several proteins, including talin, α-actinin, and paxillin, to link the actin cytoskeleton to integrins, facilitating cell adhesion and migration. Vinculin helps in transmitting mechanical forces from the extracellular matrix to the actin cytoskeleton, playing a crucial role in mechanotransduction. It can undergo conformational changes upon binding to different partners, which is essential for its function in force transmission. Vinculin stimulates actin polymerization and recruits actin remodeling proteins, which is vital for cell protrusion and migration.
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