Mechanical induction of beta 1-integrin-mediated calcium signaling in a hepatocyte cell line.

Mechanical stress influences growth, differentiation, and gene expression in a variety of cell types. It is believed that via extracellular matrix the mechanical stimulus is transmitted to integrin receptors which thus play a key role in transducing signals into the cell interior. Here we demonstrate that incubation of suspended hepatocytes with specific antibodies to beta 1-integrin subunits followed by a short-term mechanical stimulation is sufficient to induce a rise in intracellular Ca2+. The results indicate that mechanical loading of individual integrin subunits activates Ca(2+)-specific signal pathways.