K. Burridge, C.E. Turner, L.H. Romer, "Tyrosine phos-phorylation of paxillin and pp125fak accompanies cell adhesion to extracellular matrix: A role in cytoskeletal assembly," Journal of Cell Biology, 119:893-903, 1992.
Keith Burridge (Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill): "The extracellular matrix (ECM) influences the growth, differentiation, motility, and morphologyof cells. In culture, most cells develop sites of adhesive interaction--known as focal adhesions--with ECM molecules that are adsorbed to the underlying plastic or glass surface. At their cytoplasmic face, focal adhesions serve to anchor bundles of actin filaments to the plasma membrane.
"It has been apparent for some time that signals must be generated in focal adhesions, but until recently the nature of the signals has been obscure. Our study examined the signaling of the tyrosine phosphorylation triggered by cell adhesion to ECM. Previous work by Lori Kornberg in Rudy Juliano's lab (L. Kornberg...