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255 The cytoplasmic face of cell contact sites Sabine Pokutta and William I Weis* The cytoplasmic face of cell contact sites comprises large include focal adhesions and the dystroglycan complex, macromolecular assemblies that link transmembrane cell which are linked to actin, and hemidesmosomes, which are adhesion molecules to the cytoskeleton. These assemblies are linked to intermediate filaments [3]. In addition to these dynamic structures that are the targets of regulatory signals structures, less morphologically well defined cell contact that control cell adhesiveness. Recent studies of the sites feature cell surface proteins linked to the cortical biochemistry and structure of the cadherin–catenin complex, actin filament system by proteins of the ERM (ezrin/radixin/ vinculin and proteins of the ezrin/radixin/moesin family have moesin) family [4,5]. In all of these junctions, the presence begun to reveal the architecture of these assemblies and the of adaptor proteins in the adhesion molecule–cytoskeletal mechanisms that are involved in their regulation. linkage provides targets for regulatory signals that control the assembly and strength of cell contact sites. Addresses Departments of Structural Biology and Molecular and Cellular In the past few years, structural and biochemical studies Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 299 Campus of several proteins and protein complexes that are Drive West, Stanford, California 94305, USA *e-mail: bill.weis@stanford.edu