Cell Adhesion to the Extracellular Matrix

Living cells within multicellular organisms adhere to the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) via transmembrane integrin receptors at specialized, cytoskeleton-rich sites. These adhesions display two characteristic functional and structural features: they are robust, enabling the creation of long-range, long-term tissue scaffolding, and act as “environmental sensors”, responding to differences in the properties of the ECM including its composition, rigidity, micro-topography, and deformability. In this article, we will review the main characteristics of integrin adhesions, in intact tissues and organs and in cultured cells, addressing their complex nano-architecture, molecular heterogeneity, and dynamic reorganization.