Mechanoreception at the cell membrane: More than the integrins

• This review discusses non-integrin membrane associated mechanoreceptors.
• Less appreciated mechanoreceptors include, ion channels, enzyme-linked receptors, lipid rafts and the glycocalyx.
• Mechanoreceptors convert mechanical stimuli to biochemical information to induce changes in cell behavior, including migration.

A cell receives mechanical cues from its surrounding microenvironment and transduces this mechanical information into a biochemical signal within the cell, ultimately resulting in physiological change. Several molecules within the plasma membrane have been identified that are capable of receiving and translating a mechanical signal. Although integrins are most often discussed as the cell's primary method of mechanoreception at the cell membrane, several non-integrin mechanoreceptors have emerged over the last decade. Specifically, multiple G-protein coupled receptors, the glycocalyx, ion channels, lipid rafts and receptor tyrosine kinases have been found to translate mechanical stimuli from the environment into cellular change. This review will discuss these non-integrin mechanoreceptors associated with the plasma membrane, and their impact on cell physiology.