Cell anchorage and the cytoskeleton as partners in growth factor dependent cell cycle progression

Several studies in the past year have shown that the cell cycle events typically attributed to a response to growth factors actually require signals provided by both growth factors and the extracellular matrix. Moreover, at least some of these matrix-based effects seem to involve matrix-dependent organization of the cytoskeleton rather than cell adhesion per se. Overall, these studies are providing new insights into the long-appreciated concepts of anchorage- and shape-dependent growth.