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Science 5 June 2009:
Vol. 324. no. 5932, pp. 1278 - 1280
DOI: 10.1126/science.1175874
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Perspectives

Biochemistry:

Force Signaling in Biology

J. Christof, M. Gebhardt,1 Matthias Rief1,2

Many processes in our body, like muscle contraction, cell locomotion and division, or transport processes, need force-producing actuators such as molecular motors. In turn, biological systems can also sense mechanical forces. Examples are the sense of touch, hearing, and the strengthening of muscle tissues upon physical exercise. In these cases, force triggers a biochemical signal cascade, but the mechanisms by which forces affect biomolecular conformation and biochemical signaling have long remained elusive. The development of ultrasensitive instruments for nanomanipulation— such as atomic force microscopy and optical and magnetic tweezers—has allowed the effect of forces on protein conformation and function to be probed at the single-molecule level (1–4).

1 Physik Department E22, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Strasse, 85748 München, Germany.
2 Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science CIPSM, 81377 München, Germany.

E-mail: mrief{at}ph.tum.de

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)