A subpopulation of Talin 1 resides in the nucleus and regulates gene expression

Talin 1 (TLN1) is best known for its role at focal adhesions, where it activates β-integrin

receptors and transmits mechanical stimuli to the actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, the

localization of TLN1 is not restricted to the focal adhesions, but its function in other cellular

compartments remains poorly understood. By utilizing both biochemical and confocal

microscopy analyses, we show that TLN1 localizes to the nucleus and that it strongly

interacts with the chromatin. Importantly, depletion of endogenous TLN1 results in extensive

changes in the gene expression profile of human breast epithelial cells. To determine the

impact of nuclear TLN1 on gene regulation, we expressed a TLN1 fusion protein containing

a nuclear localization signal. Our results reve aled that nuclear TLN1 regulates a specific

subset of the TLN1-dependent genes. Taken together, we show that apart from localizing at

the plasma membrane and cytoplasm, TLN1 also resides in the nucleus where it functions in

the regulation of gene expression.