Dr. Martin Schwartz
works on regulation of signal transduction by integrins. Regulation
of cell behavior by adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) is
a fundamental fact of multicellular life. Virtually every cell
in vertebrates spends at least a portion of its life cycle adhered
to ECM, and this interaction critically regulates cell survival,
growth, gene expression and function. Integrins are the major
membrane receptors that mediate adhesion of cells to ECM and
connect to cytoskeletal proteins inside the cell to physically
connect ECM with actin filaments. My lab is among those that,
in the late 1980's, showed that integrins also signal. These
signals are complex and varied, and appear to mediate many of
the regulatory effects of ECM. Regulation of Rho family GTPases
and their effectors is a major direction in Dr. Schwartz’s
lab. Other studies involve the abl tyrosine kinase, the p53
pathway and responses of cells to fluid shear stress and mechanical
tension. The overall goal is to understand how integrins signal,
how these signals regulate cell functions, and how they fit
into the larger picture of cell regulation by soluble factors,
oncogenes, and mechanical forces.
