The Kindlin protein family: new members to the club of focal adhesion proteins

Kindlins are a group of proteins that have recently attracted attention for their ability to bind and activate integrins. Moreover, they have also been linked to inherited and acquired human diseases including Kindler syndrome, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, and cancer. Although most studies have focused on kindlins as key regulatory components of cell–extracellular matrix junctions such as focal adhesions, preliminary data suggest the involvement of additional cellular compartments in mediating their functions, particularly at cell–cell contacts and the nucleus. Investigating the many roles of kindlins is likely to expand and sharpen our view on the versatility of integrin-mediated cell adhesion, the nuclear function of focal adhesion proteins, and the crosstalk between cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesions in health and disease.