p66Shc checks the cell's anchor points (yellow) to ensure a good grip.

Like soloing rock climbers, adherent cells need a good handhold to survive. Ma et al. now identify an adaptor protein that monitors the cell's grip and signals death if the grip fails.

Death following detachment, known as anoikis, is a form of programmed cell death that ensures the disposal of displaced adherent cells. Lack of anoikis is thought to give cells metastatic potential.

A number of survival factors have been identified that are activated by integrin attachment to the extracellular matrix. Binding to soluble matrix fragments, rather than to a fixed matrix, does not prevent anoikis. This difference suggests that mechanical tension is also being measured.

Inside the cell, integrins associate with signaling adaptor proteins of the Shc family. One family member, p66Shc, has been suggested to promote apoptosis. The...

The Rockefeller University Press
2007
The Rockefeller University Press
2007
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