The contraction of smooth muscle is an essential process underpinning diverse physiological functions ranging from gastrointestinal motility to vascular regulation. At its core, smooth muscle ...

In the avian embryo, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in the aortic arch (elastic) arteries originate in the neural crest, whereas other VSMC develop from local mesoderm. These two lineages have ...

The mechanism of skeletal muscle contraction is a process that relies on calcium signaling. However, the physiological role ...

β-Catenin phosphorylation plays important roles in modulating its functions, but the effects of different phosphorylated forms of β-catenin in response to heterocellular interaction are unclear. Here ...

As food is digested and nutrients are absorbed, there is a lot of movement in the gut. Scientists have now shown that a protein called Piezo1 that acts as a pressure sensor in the body also works to ...

Fibronectin triggers secretion of extracellular vesicles carrying collagen VI that regulate smooth muscle cell adhesion and migration during vascular repair and atherogenesis.

A team of investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham (MGB) and Mass General for Children (MGfC) has identified - for the first time - the ...