[PT03] Plenary Talk

[PT03-01] Force-dependent interactions of biomolecules

*Yan Jie¹ (1. Department of Physics and Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore (Singapore))

Keywords:

Mechanotransduction

Cells sense (mechanosensing) and respond (mechanotransduction) to mechanical signals in their environment, which is crucial for many fundamental cellular functions. This mechanosensing process relies on the formation of tension-transmitting linkages composed of non-covalently connected proteins. Cells detect dynamic tensile forces through these linkages, and protein domains and their interfaces undergo changes in response to intracellular tensile forces. These changes lead to complex connectivity within the linkages, domain alterations, and interactions among proteins in the linkage and signaling proteins in the cytosol. In my talk, I will outline the biophysical principles of force-dependent biomolecular interactions and explore their roles in cell-matrix adhesions, adhesion GPCR activation, and bacterial adhesions. Specifically, I will discuss in detail the critical role of conformational entropy in protein domains and complexes as a key factor in their equilibrium and dynamic mechanical responses. Finally, I will address how this knowledge enhances our understanding of cellular mechanosensing and mechanotransduction and may help the development of mechanopharmacology.