Abstract
The extracellular matrix protein fibronectin forms fibrils when in association with cells that exert tension. Cells apply enough force to stretch fibrils in vivo. Stretching of individual fibronectin molecules may reveal conformation-dependent intermolecular binding sites, contributing to the assembly of the molecules into fibrils.
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Shaub, A. Unravelling the extracellular matrix. Nat Cell Biol 1, E173–E174 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/15608
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/15608
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