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Spatiotemporal dynamics of focal adhesion kinase

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We designed FAK-SPARK, a fluorescent reporter of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity based on phase separation. FAK-SPARK revealed polarized FAK activity within single focal adhesions in the leading edges of migrating cells. By combining FAK-SPARK with DNA tension probes, we showed that FAK activity is proportional to the tension strength.

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Fig. 1: FAK activity is polarized at the distal tip of newly formed focal adhesions in the leading edges of migrating cells.

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This is a summary of: Li, X. et al. Polarized focal adhesion kinase activity within a focal adhesion during cell migration. Nat. Chem. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01353-y (2023).

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Spatiotemporal dynamics of focal adhesion kinase. Nat Chem Biol 19, 1444–1445 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01371-w

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