Fig. 3: Dynamic junction rupture and recovery.
From: Feedback between mechanosensitive signaling and active forces governs endothelial junction integrity
a The 2D model discretely considers independent protrusions comprised of cytoskeletal (protruding/ contractile) elements (red), adhesion elements that can rupture and reform (green), and membrane/cortical actin elements that connect the protrusions (grey); (b) Simulated cell-cell boundary showing cycle of protrusion, junction formation, cadherin binding, and rupture at high tension; Predicted (c) gap size, (d) cadherin bond force, (e) bound cadherin density, (f) cell contractility, and (g) polymerization-induced stress (values are the same in all parallel elements). For all simulations \({\alpha }_{c}=20{kP}{a}^{-1}\) and \({\sigma }_{{{{{\rm P}}}}_{0}}=-\!3.725{kPa}\) unless otherwise stated; (h-j) Comparison of model predictions with experimentally measured cadherin (\(n=6\) junctions), F-tractin (\(n=4\) junctions), and protrusion area (\(n=4\) junctions) with corresponding sample images of cell-cell boundaries (mean \(\pm\) s.e.m.). Scale bars, 1 \(\mu m\).
