Focal adhesions are dynamic, force-bearing assemblies that form where cells attach to surfaces. In this project I reconstituted key adhesion proteins (talin and vinculin) together with lipid membranes to study how these structures form from the bottom up. I found that membrane binding activates the proteins and triggers liquid–liquid phase separation at the membrane surface, enriching integrin tails and creating a two-dimensional protein condensate. This provides a mechanistic framework for how early adhesions can be both sturdy and highly dynamic.
Litschel T*,#, Kelley CF*, Cheng X, Babl L, Mizuno N, Case LB, Schwille P# (*equal contribution, #corresponding author)
“Membrane-induced 2D phase separation of the focal adhesion protein talin” (Research Paper)
Nature Communications, 2024, 15:4986 [Link]
Thomas Litschel 