Spatiotemporal analysis of flow-induced intermediate filament displacement in living endothelial cells

Short-Term Shear Stress Induces Rapid Actin Dynamics in Living Endothelial Cells

Hemodynamic shear stress guides a variety of endothelial phenotype characteristics, including cell morphology, cytoskeletal structure, and gene expression profile. The sensing and processing of extracellular fluid forces may be mediated by mechanotransmission through the actin cytoskeleton network to intracellular locations of signal initiation. In this study, we identify rapid actin-mediated morphological changes in living subconfluent and confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (ECs) in response to onset of unidirectional steady fluid shear stress (15 dyn/cm(2)). After flow onset, subconfluent cells exhibited dynamic edge activity in lamellipodia and small ruffles in the downstream and side directions for the first 12 min; activity was minimal in the upstream direction. After 12 min, peripheral edge extension subsided. Confluent cell monolayers that were exposed to shear stress exhibited only subtle increases in edge fluctuations after flow onset. Addition of cytochalasin D to disrupt actin polymerization served to suppress the magnitude of flow-mediated actin remodeling in both subconfluent confluent EC monolayers. Interestingly, when subconfluent ECs were exposed to two sequential flow step increases (1 dyn/cm(2) followed by 15 dyn/cm(2) 12 min later), actin-mediated edge activity was not additionally increased after the second flow step. Thus, repeated flow increases served to desensitize mechanosensitive structural dynamics in the actin cytoskeleton.

Brushes, cables, and anchors: recent insights into multiscale assembly and mechanics of cellular structural networks

The remarkable ability of living cells to sense, process, and respond to mechanical stimuli in their environment depends on the rapid and efficient interconversion of mechanical and chemical energy at specific times and places within the cell. For example, application of force to cells leads to conformational changes in specific mechanosensitive molecules which then trigger cellular signaling cascades that may alter cellular structure, mechanics, and migration and profoundly influence gene expression. Similarly, the sensitivity of cells to mechanical stresses is governed by the composition, architecture, and mechanics of the cellular cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM), which are in turn driven by molecular-scale forces between the constituent biopolymers. Understanding how these mechanochemical systems coordinate over multiple length and time scales to produce orchestrated cell behaviors represents a fundamental challenge in cell biology. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of these complex processes in three experimental systems: the assembly of axonal neurofilaments, generation of tensile forces by actomyosin stress fiber bundles, and mechanical control of adhesion assembly.

Collecting duct epithelial–mesenchymal transition in fetal urinary tract obstruction

Renal interstitial fibrosis contributes to the progression of most chronic kidney diseases and is an important pathologic feature of urinary tract obstruction. To study the origin of this fibrosis, we used a fetal non-human primate model of unilateral ureteric obstruction focusing on the role of medullary collecting duct (CD) changes. Obstruction at 70 days gestation (full term approximately 165 days) results in cystic dysplasia with significant medullary changes including loss of the epithelial phenotype and gain of a mesenchymal phenotype. These changes were associated with disruption of the epithelial basement membrane and concomitant migration of transitioning cells presumed responsible for the observed peritubular collars of fibrous tissue. There was an abundance of cells that co-expressed the intercalated cell marker carbonic anhydrase II and smooth muscle actin. These cells migrated through the basement membrane and were significantly reduced in obstructed ducts with peritubular collars. Our studies suggest that fetal urinary tract obstruction results in a CD epithelial-mesenchymal transition contributing to the interstitial changes associated with poor prognosis. This seems restricted to the intercalated cells, which contribute to the expansion of the principal cell population and the formation of peritubular collars, but are depleted in progressive injury.

Valvular endothelial cells and the mechanoregulation of valvular pathology

Endothelial cells are critical mediators of haemodynamic forces and as such are important foci for initiation of vascular pathology. Valvular leaflets are also lined with endothelial cells, though a similar role in mechanosensing has not been demonstrated. Recent evidence has shown that valvular endothelial cells respond morphologically to shear stress, and several studies have implicated valvular endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of disease. This review seeks to combine what is known about vascular and valvular haemodynamics, endothelial response to mechanical stimuli and the pathogenesis of valvular diseases to form a hypothesis as to how mechanical stimuli can initiate valvular endothelial dysfunction and disease progression. From this analysis, it appears that inflow surface-related bacterial/thrombotic vegetative endocarditis is a high shear-driven endothelial denudation phenomenon, while the outflow surface with its related calcific/atherosclerotic degeneration is a low/oscillatory shear-driven endothelial activation phenomenon. Further understanding of these mechanisms may help lead to earlier diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.

Mapping the dynamics of shear stress-induced structural changes in endothelial cells

Hemodynamic shear stress regulates endothelial cell biochemical processes that govern cytoskeletal contractility, focal adhesion dynamics, and extracellular matrix (ECM) assembly. Since shear stress causes rapid strain focusing at discrete locations in the cytoskeleton, we hypothesized that shear stress coordinately alters structural dynamics in the cytoskeleton, focal adhesion sites, and ECM on a time scale of minutes. Using multiwavelength four-dimensional fluorescence microscopy, we measured the displacement of rhodamine-fibronectin and green fluorescent protein-labeled actin, vimentin, paxillin, and/or vinculin in aortic endothelial cells before and after onset of steady unidirectional shear stress. In the cytoskeleton, the onset of shear stress increased actin polymerization into lamellipodia, altered the angle of lateral displacement of actin stress fibers and vimentin filaments, and decreased centripetal remodeling of actin stress fibers in subconfluent and confluent cell layers. Shear stress induced the formation of new focal complexes and reduced the centripetal remodeling of focal adhesions in regions of new actin polymerization. The structural dynamics of focal adhesions and the fibronectin matrix varied with cell density. In subconfluent cell layers, shear stress onset decreased the displacement of focal adhesions and fibronectin fibrils. In confluent monolayers, the direction of fibronectin and focal adhesion displacement shifted significantly toward the downstream direction within 1 min after onset of shear stress. These spatially coordinated rapid changes in the structural dynamics of cytoskeleton, focal adhesions, and ECM are consistent with focusing of mechanical stress and/or strain near major sites of shear stress-mediated mechanotransduction.

Imaging stress propagation in the cytoplasm of a living cell

A fundamental issue in mechanotransduction is to determine pathways of stress propagation in the cytoplasm. We describe a recently developed synchronous detection approach that can be used to map nanoscale distortions of cytoskeletal elements and nuclear structures in living individual cells using green fluorescent protein technology and 3D magnetic twisting cytometry. This approach could be combined with single-cell biochemical and biological assays to help elucidate mechanisms of mechanotransduction.

Macrorheology and adaptive microrheology of endothelial cells subjected to fluid shear stress

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) respond to temporal and spatial characteristics of hemodynamic forces by alterations in their adhesiveness to leukocytes, secretion of vasodilators, and permeability to blood-borne constituents. These physiological and pathophysiological changes are tied to adaptation of cell mechanics and mechanotransduction, the process by which cells convert forces to intracellular biochemical signals. The exact time scales of these mechanical adaptations, however, remain unknown. We used particle-tracking microrheology to study adaptive changes in intracellular mechanics in response to a step change in fluid shear stress, which simulates both rapid temporal and steady features of hemodynamic forces. Results indicate that ECs become significantly more compliant as early as 30 s after a step change in shear stress from 0 to 10 dyn/cm(2) followed by recovery of viscoelastic parameters within 4 min of shearing, even though shear stress was maintained. After ECs were sheared for 5 min, return of shear stress to 0 dyn/cm(2) in a stepwise manner did not result in any further rheological adaptation. Average vesicle displacements were used to determine time-dependent cell deformation and macrorheological parameters by fitting creep function to a linear viscoelastic liquid model. Characteristic time and magnitude for shear-induced deformation were 3 s and 50 nm, respectively. We conclude that ECs rapidly adapt their mechanical properties in response to shear stress, and we provide the first macrorheological parameters for time-dependent deformations of ECs to a physiological forcing function. Such studies provide insight into pathologies such as atherosclerosis, which may find their origins in EC mechanics.

Effect of the stress phase angle on the strain energy density of the endothelial plasma membrane

Endothelial cells are simultaneously exposed to the mechanical forces of fluid wall shear stress (WSS) imposed by blood flow and solid circumferential stress (CS) induced by the blood vessel's elastic response to the pressure pulse. Experiments have demonstrated that these combined forces induce unique endothelial biomolecular responses that are not characteristic of either driving force alone and that the temporal phase angle between WSS and CS, referred to as the stress phase angle, modulates endothelial responses. In this article, we provide the first theoretical model to examine the combined forces of WSS and CS on a model of the endothelial cell plasma membrane. We focus on the strain energy density of the membrane that modulates the opening of ion channels that can mediate signal transduction. The model shows a significant influence of the stress phase angle on the strain energy density at the upstream and downstream ends of the cell where mechanotransduction is most likely to occur.

The motility and dynamic properties of intermediate filaments and their constituent proteins

Intermediate filament (IF) proteins exist in multiple structural forms within cells including mature IF, short filaments or 'squiggles', and non-filamentous precursors called particles. These forms are interconvertible and their relative abundance is IF type, cell type- and cell cycle stage-dependent. These structures are often associated with molecular motors, such as kinesin and dynein, and are therefore capable of translocating through the cytoplasm along microtubules. The assembly of mature IF from their precursor particles is also coupled to translation. These dynamic properties of IF provide mechanisms for regulating their reorganization and assembly in response to the functional requirements of cells. The recent findings that IF and their precursors are frequently associated with signaling molecules have revealed new functions for IF beyond their more traditional roles as mechanical integrators of cells and tissues.

Isostaticity and controlled force transmission in the cytoskeleton: A model awaiting experimental evidence

A new model is proposed for force transmission through the cytoskeleton (CSK). A general discussion is first presented on the physical principles that underlie the modeling of this phenomenon. Some fundamental problems of conventional models--continuous and discrete--are examined. It is argued that mediation of focused forces is essential for good control over intracellular mechanical signals. The difficulties of conventional continuous models in describing such mediation are traced to a fundamental assumption rather than to their being continuous. Relevant advantages and disadvantages of continuous and discrete modeling are discussed. It is concluded that favoring discrete models is based on two misconceptions, which are clarified. The model proposed here is based on the idea that focused propagation of mechanical stimuli in frameworks over large distances (compared to the mesh size) can only occur when considerable regions of the CSK are isostatic. The concept of isostaticity is explained and a recently developed continuous isostaticity theory is briefly reviewed. The model enjoys several advantages: it leads to good control over force mediation; it explains nonuniform stresses and action at a distance; it is continuous, making it possible to model force propagation over long distances; and it enables prediction of individual force paths. To be isostatic, or nearly so, CSK networks must possess specific structural characteristics, and these are quantified. Finally, several experimental observations are interpreted using the new model and implications are discussed. It is also suggested that this approach may give insight into the dynamics of reorganization of the CSK. Many of the results are amenable to experimental measurements, providing a testing ground for the proposed picture, and generic experiments are suggested.

High-resolution solid modeling of biological samples imaged with 3D fluorescence microscopy

Optical-sectioning, digital fluorescence microscopy provides images representing temporally- and spatially-resolved molecular-scale details of the substructures of living cells. To render such images into solid models for further computational analyses, we have developed an integrated system of image acquisition, processing, and rendering, which includes a new empirical technique to correct for axial distortions inherent in fluorescence microscopy due to refractive index mismatches between microscope objective immersion medium, coverslip glass, and water. This system takes advantage of the capabilities of ultra-high numerical aperture objectives (e.g. total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy) and enables faithful three-dimensional rendering of living cells into solid models amenable to further computational analysis. An example of solid modeling of bovine aortic endothelial cells and their nuclei is presented. Since many cellular level events are temporally and spatially confined, such integrated image acquisition, processing, rendering, and computational analysis, will enable, in silico, the generation of new computational models for cell mechanics and signaling.

Mechanical response analysis and power generation by single-cell stretching

To harvest useful information about cell response due to mechanical perturbations under physiological conditions, a cantilever-based technique was designed, which allowed precise application of arbitrary forces or deformation histories on a single cell in vitro. Essential requirements for these investigations are a mechanism for applying an automated cell force and an induced-deformation detection system based on fiber-optical force sensing and closed loop control. The required mechanical stability of the setup can persist for several hours since mechanical drifts due to thermal gradients can be eliminated sufficiently (these gradients are caused by local heating of the cell observation chamber to 37 degrees C). During mechanical characterization, the cell is visualized with an optical microscope, which enables the simultaneous observation of cell shape and intracellular morphological changes. Either the cell elongation is observed as a reaction against a constant load or the cell force is measured as a response to constant deformation. Passive viscoelastic deformation and active cell response can be discriminated. The active power generated during contraction is in the range of Pmax= 10(-16) Watts, which corresponds to 2500 ATP molecules s(-1) at 10 k(B)T/molecule. The ratio of contractive to dissipative power is estimated to be in the range of 10(-2). The highest forces supported by the cell suggest that about 10(4) molecular motors must be involved in contraction. This indicates an energy-conversion efficiency of approximately 0.5. Our findings propose that, in addition to the recruitment of cell-contractile elements upon mechanical stimulation, the cell cytoskeleton becomes increasingly crosslinked in response to a mechanical pull. Quantitative stress-strain data, such as those presented here, may be employed to test physical models that describe cellular responses to mechanical stimuli.

3D Particle Tracking on a Two-Photon Microscope

A 3D single-particle-tracking (SPT) system was developed based on two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy that can track the motion of particles in three dimensions over a range of 100 mum and with a bandwidth up to 30 Hz. We have implemented two different techniques employing feedback control. The first technique scans a small volume around a particle to build up a volumetric image that is then used to determine the particle's position. The second technique scans only a single plane but utilizes optical aberrations that have been introduced into the optical system that break the axial symmetry of the point spread function and serve as an indicator of the particle's axial position. We verified the performance of the instrument by tracking particles in well-characterized models systems. We then studied the 3D viscoelastic mechanical response of 293 kidney cells using the techniques. Force was applied to the cells, by using a magnetic manipulator, onto the paramagnetic spheres attached to the cell via cellular integrin receptors. The deformation of the cytoskeleton was monitored by following the motion of nearby attached fluorescent polystyrene spheres. We showed that planar stress produces strain in all three dimensions, demonstrating that the 3D motion of the cell is required to fully model cellular mechanical responses.

Chondrocyte deformation induces mitochondrial distortion and heterogeneous intracellular strain fields

Chondrocyte mechanotransduction is poorly understood but may involve cell deformation and associated distortion of intracellular structures and organelles. This study quantifies the intracellular displacement and strain fields associated with chondrocyte deformation and in particular the distortion of the mitochondria network, which may have a role in mechanotransduction. Isolated articular chondrocytes were compressed in agarose constructs and simultaneously visualised using confocal microscopy. An optimised digital image correlation technique was developed to calculate the local intracellular displacement and strain fields using confocal images of fluorescently labelled mitochondria. The mitochondria formed a dynamic fibrous network or reticulum, which co-localised with microtubules and vimentin intermediate filaments. Cell deformation induced distortion of the mitochondria, which collapsed in the axis of compression with a resulting loss of volume. Compression generated heterogeneous intracellular strain fields indicating mechanical heterogeneity within the cytoplasm. The study provides evidence supporting the potential involvement of mitochondrial deformation in chondrocyte mechanotransduction, possibly involving strain-mediated release of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore the heterogeneous strain fields, which appear to be influenced by intracellular structure and organisation, may generate significant heterogeneity in mechanotransduction behaviour for cells subjected to identical levels of deformation.

Role of small GTPases in endothelial cytoskeletal dynamics and the shear stress response

Fluid shear stress caused by blood flow is a major determinant of vascular remodeling and arterial tone and can lead to development of atherosclerosis. The endothelial monolayer in vivo acts as a signal transduction interface for hemodynamic forces; these forces determine the shape, cytoskeletal organization, and function of endothelial cells, allowing the vessels to cope with physiological or pathological conditions. The Ras superfamily of GTPases have been revealed to be master regulators of many cellular activities. In particular, the GTPases RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 are known to regulate cell shape changes through effects on the cytoskeleton, but their ability to influence polarity, microtubule dynamics, and transcription factor activity is just as significant. Shear stress modulates the activity of small GTPases, which are critical for both cytoskeletal reorganization and changes in gene expression in response to shear stress. The goal of this article is to review what is known about Ras and more so about Rho GTPases in mechanotransduction and the responses of cells to fluid flow. Several distinct signaling pathways can be coordinately activated by flow, and small GTPases are strongly implicated in some of them; thus possible connections will be explored and a unifying hypothesis offered.

Biomechanical properties of intermediate filaments: from tissues to single filaments and back

The animal cell cytoskeleton consists of three interconnected filament systems: actin-containing microfilaments (MFs), microtubules (MTs), and the lesser known intermediate filaments (IFs). All IF proteins share a common tripartite domain structure and the ability to assemble into 8-12 nm wide filaments. Electron microscopy data suggest that IFs are built according to a completely different plan from that of MFs and MTs. IFs are known to impart mechanical stability to cells and tissues but, until recently, the biomechanical properties of single IFs were unknown. However, with the discovery of naturally occurring micrometer-wide IF bundles and the development of new methodologies to mechanically probe single filaments, it is now possible to propose a more unified view of IF biomechanics. Unlike MFs and MTs, single IFs can now be described as flexible, extensible and tough, which has important implications for our understanding of cell and tissue mechanics. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms at play when IFs are deformed point toward a pivotal role for them in mechanotransduction.

Force meets chemistry: Analysis of mechanochemical conversion in focal adhesions using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching

Mechanotransduction--the process by which mechanical forces are converted into changes of intracellular biochemistry--is critical for normal cell and tissue function. Integrins facilitate mechanochemical conversion by transferring physical forces from the extracellular matrix, across the cell surface, and to cytoskeletal-associated proteins within focal adhesions. It is likely that force alters biochemistry at these sites by altering molecular binding affinities of a subset of focal adhesion proteins, but this has been difficult to quantify within living cells. Here, we describe how the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique can be adapted and used in conjunction with mathematical models to directly measure force-dependent alterations in molecular binding and unbinding rate constants of individual focal adhesion proteins in situ. We review these recent findings, and discuss the strengths and limitations of this approach for analysis of mechanochemical signaling in focal adhesions and other cellular structures. The ability to quantify molecular binding rate constants in the physical context of the living cytoplasm should provide new insight into the molecular basis of cellular mechanotransduction. It also may facilitate future efforts to bridge biological experimentation and mathematical modeling in our quest for a systems biology level description of cell regulation.

Shear Stress Biology of the Endothelium

The relationships between blood flow, mechanotransduction, and the localization of arterial lesions can now be advanced by the incorporation of new technologies and the refinement of existing methods in imaging modalities, computational modeling, fluid dynamics, and high throughput genomics and proteomics. When combined with traditional cell and molecular technologies, a powerful palette of investigative approaches is available to address shear stress biology of the endothelium at levels extending from nanoscale subcellular detailed mechanistic responses through to higher organizational levels of regional endothelial phenotypes and heterogeneous vascular beds.

Molecular basis of the effects of shear stress on vascular endothelial cells

Blood vessels are constantly exposed to hemodynamic forces in the form of cyclic stretch and shear stress due to the pulsatile nature of blood pressure and flow. Endothelial cells (ECs) are subjected to the shear stress resulting from blood flow and are able to convert mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals that affect cellular functions, e.g., proliferation, apoptosis, migration, permeability, and remodeling, as well as gene expression. The ECs use multiple sensing mechanisms to detect changes in mechanical forces, leading to the activation of signaling networks. The cytoskeleton provides a structural framework for the EC to transmit mechanical forces between its luminal, abluminal and junctional surfaces and its interior, including the cytoplasm, the nucleus, and focal adhesion sites. Endothelial cells also respond differently to different modes of shear forces, e.g., laminar, disturbed, or oscillatory flows. In vitro studies on cultured ECs in flow channels have been conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which cells convert the mechanical input into biochemical events, which eventually lead to functional responses. The knowledge gained on mechano-transduction, with verifications under in vivo conditions, will advance our understanding of the physiological and pathological processes in vascular remodeling and adaptation in health and disease.

Topographically induced direct cell mechanotransduction

This review is designed to introduce the cytoskeleton and then discuss how mechanical forces may be transduced to the cell nucleus. In addition to this, it also tries to explain current thinking as to how the nucleus turns these mechanical cues into gene changes and is especially interested in mechanotransduction arising from topographically induced morphological changes, specifically nanotopography. Thus, this review also describes cell responses to topography.

Oscillatory Pressurization of an Animal Cell as a Poroelastic Spherical Body

The analytical solution of a spherical poroelastic body under an oscillatory hydrostatic pressurization is obtained. This solution is then parameterized and interpreted in terms of a spherical animal cell with the cytoskeleton serving as the solid phase. It is found that for a cell with free or nearly free membrane leakage (such as in the case of an osteocytic cell body), the induced pore fluid pressure amplitude near the center of the cell exceeds the amplitude of the applied pressure by 50% if the loading frequency falls near that of normal human gait (1 Hz). A parametric analysis shows that the leakage coefficient is proportional to the intrinsic permeability ratio between the boundary and the bulk matrix. The physiological implication of the solution is further interpreted and discussed through an anatomical analysis of two representative cellular entities under compression: a chondrocyte and an osteocytic cell body. Finally, through a comparison between the characteristic time of gait and the characteristic pore fluid pressure relaxation times of various fluid-saturated entities in the body (such as a tumor, the brain, the cortical bone, the trabecular bone, and the cartilage, etc.), it is found that the gait-induced pore fluid transport seems to be important only in deeply buried cells and the mineralized cartilage.

Keratin 8 phosphorylation by protein kinase C delta regulates shear stress-mediated disassembly of keratin intermediate filaments in alveolar epithelial cells

Phosphorylation of keratin intermediate filaments (IF) is known to affect their assembly state and organization; however, little is known about the mechanisms regulating keratin phosphorylation. In this study, we demonstrate that shear stress, but not stretch, causes disassembly of keratin IF in lung alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) and that this disassembly is regulated by protein kinase C delta-mediated phosphorylation of keratin 8 (K8) Ser-73. Specifically, in AEC subjected to shear stress, keratin IF are disassembled, as reflected by their increased solubility. In contrast, AEC subjected to stretch showed no changes in the state of assembly of IF. Pretreatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, bisindolymaleimide, prevents the increase in solubility of either K8 or its assembly partner K18 in shear-stressed AEC. Phosphoserine-specific antibodies demonstrate that K8 Ser-73 is phosphorylated in a time-dependent manner in shear-stressed AEC. Furthermore, we showed that shear stress activates PKC delta and that the PKC delta peptide antagonist, delta V1-1, significantly attenuates the shear stress-induced increase in keratin phosphorylation and solubility. These data suggested that shear stress mediates the phosphorylation of serine residues in K8, leading to the disassembly of IF in alveolar epithelial cells. Importantly, these data provided clues regarding a molecular link between mechanically induced signal transduction and alterations in cytoskeletal IF.

Molecular control of cytoskeletal mechanics by hemodynamic forces

The endothelium at the interface between blood and tissue acts as a primary transducer of local hemodynamic forces into signals that maintain physiological function or initiate pathological processes in vessel walls. Rapid intracellular spatial gradients of structural dynamics and signaling molecule activity suggest that mechanical cues at the molecular level guide cellular mechanotransduction and adaptation to shear stress profiles.

Use of nanotopography to study mechanotransduction in fibroblasts--methods and perspectives

The environment around a cell during in vitro culture is unlikely to mimic those in vivo. Preliminary experiments with nanotopography have shown that nanoscale features can strongly influence cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation and gene regulation, but the mechanisms mediating this cell response remain unclear. In this perspective article, we attempt to illustrate that a possible mechanism is direct transmittal of forces encountered by cells during spreading to the nucleus via the cytoskeleton. We further try to illustrate that this 'self-induced' mechanotransduction may alter gene expression by changing interphase chromosome positioning. Whilst the observations described here to show how we think nanotopography can be developed as a tool to look at mechanotransduction are preliminary, we feel they indicate that topography may give cell biologists a non-invasive tool with which to investigate in vitro cellular mechanisms.

“Culture shock” from the bone cell's perspective: emulating physiological conditions for mechanobiological investigations

Bone physiology can be examined on multiple length scales. Results of cell-level studies, typically carried out in vitro, are often extrapolated to attempt to understand tissue and organ physiology. Results of organ- or organism-level studies are often analyzed to deduce the state(s) of the cells within the larger system(s). Although phenomena on all of these scales—cell, tissue, organ, system, organism—are interlinked and contribute to the overall health and function of bone tissue, it is difficult to relate research among these scales. For example, groups of cells in an exogenous, in vitro environment that is well defined by the researcher would not be expected to function similarly to those in a dynamic, endogenous environment, dictated by systemic as well as organismal physiology. This review of the literature on bone cell culture describes potential causes and components of cell “culture shock,” i.e., behavioral variations associated with the transition from in vivo to in vitro environment, focusing on investigations of mechanotransduction and experimental approaches to mimic aspects of bone tissue on a macroscopic scale. The state of the art is reviewed, and new paradigms are suggested to begin bridging the gap between two-dimensional cell cultures in petri dishes and the three-dimensional environment of living bone tissue.

Culture of murine brain microvascular endothelial cells that maintain expression and cytoskeletal association of tight junction-associated proteins

A readily obtainable in vitro paradigm of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) would offer considerable benefits. Toward this end, in this study, we describe a novel method for purifying murine brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) for culture. The method uses limited collagenase-dispase digestion of enriched brain microvessels, followed by immunoisolation of digested, microvascular fragments by magnetic beads coated with antibody to platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1. When plated onto collagen IV-coated surfaces, these fragments elaborated confluent monolayers of BMEC that expressed, as judged by immunocytochemistry, the adherens junction-associated proteins, VE-cadherin and beta-catenin, as well as the tight junction (TJ)-associated proteins, claudin-5, occludin, and zonula occludin-1 (ZO-1), in concentrated fashion along intercellular borders. In contrast, cultures of an immortalized and transformed line of murine brain capillary-derived endothelial cells, bEND.3, displayed diffuse cytoplasmic localization of occludin and ZO-1. This difference in occludin and ZO-1 staining between the two endothelial cell types was also reflected in the extent of association of these proteins with the detergent-resistant cytoskeletal framework (CSK). Although both occludin and ZO-1 largely partitioned with the CSK fraction in BMEC, they were found predominantly in the soluble fraction of bEND.3 cells, and claudin-5 was found associated equally with both fractions in BMEC and bEND.3 cells. Moreover, detergent-extracted cultures of the BMEC retained pronounced immunostaining of occludin and ZO-1, but not claudin-5, along intercellular borders. Because both occludin and ZO-1 are thought to be functionally coupled to the detergent-resistant CSK and high expression of TJs is considered a seminal characteristic of the BBB, these results impart that this method of purifying murine BMEC provides a suitable platform to investigate BBB properties in vitro.

Cell mechanics and mechanotransduction: pathways, probes, and physiology

Cells face not only a complex biochemical environment but also a diverse biomechanical environment. How cells respond to variations in mechanical forces is critical in homeostasis and many diseases. The mechanisms by which mechanical forces lead to eventual biochemical and molecular responses remain undefined, and unraveling this mystery will undoubtedly provide new insight into strengthening bone, growing cartilage, improving cardiac contractility, and constructing tissues for artificial organs. In this article we review the physical bases underlying the mechanotransduction process, techniques used to apply controlled mechanical stresses on living cells and tissues to probe mechanotransduction, and some of the important lessons that we are learning from mechanical stimulation of cells with precisely controlled forces.

Assessing the flexibility of intermediate filaments by atomic force microscopy

Eukaryotic cells contain three cytoskeletal filament systems that exhibit very distinct assembly properties, supramolecular architectures, dynamic behaviour and mechanical properties. Microtubules and microfilaments are relatively stiff polar structures whose assembly is modulated by the state of hydrolysis of the bound nucleotide. In contrast, intermediate filaments (IFs) are more flexible apolar structures assembled from a approximately 45 nm long coiled-coil dimer as the elementary building block. The differences in flexibility that exist among the three filament systems have been described qualitatively by comparing electron micrographs of negatively stained dehydrated filaments and by directly measuring the persistence length of F-actin filaments (approximately 3-10 microm) and microtubules (approximately 1-8 mm) by various physical methods. However, quantitative data on the persistence length of IFs are still missing. Toward this goal, we have carried out atomic force microscopy (AFM) in physiological buffer to characterise the morphology of individual vimentin IFs adsorbed to different solid supports. In addition, we compared these images with those obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of negatively stained dehydrated filaments. For each support, we could accurately measure the apparent persistence length of the filaments, yielding values ranging between 0.3 microm and 1 microm. Making simple assumptions concerning the adsorption mechanism, we could estimate the persistence length of an IF in a dilute solution to be approximately 1 microm, indicating that the lower measured values reflect constraints induced by the adsorption process of the filaments on the corresponding support. Based on our knowledge of the structural organisation and mechanical properties of IFs, we reason that the lower persistence length of IFs compared to that of F-actin filaments is caused by the presence of flexible linker regions within the coiled-coil dimer and by postulating the occurrence of axial slipping between dimers within IFs.

The dynamic and motile properties of intermediate filaments

For many years, cytoplasmic intermediate filaments (IFs) were considered to be stable cytoskeletal elements contributing primarily to the maintenance of the structural and mechanical integrity of cells. However, recent studies of living cells have revealed that IFs and their precursors possess a remarkably wide array of dynamic and motile properties. These properties are in large part due to interactions with molecular motors such as conventional kinesin, cytoplasmic dynein, and myosin. The association between IFs and motors appears to account for much of the well-documented molecular cross talk between IFs and the other major cytoskeletal elements, microtubules, and actin-containing microfilaments. Furthermore, the associations with molecular motors are also responsible for the high-speed, targeted delivery of nonfilamentous IF protein cargo to specific regions of the cytoplasm where they polymerize into IFs. This review considers the functional implications of the motile properties of IFs and discusses the potential relationships between malfunctions in these motile activities and human diseases.

Fibroblast response to a controlled nanoenvironment produced by colloidal lithography

It is thought that by understanding how cells respond to topography, that better tissue engineering may be achievable. An important consideration in the cellular environment is topography. The effects of microtopography have been well documented, but the effects of nanotopography are less well known. Previously, methods of nanofabrication have been costly and time-consuming, but research by engineers, physicists, and chemists is starting to allow the production of nanostructures using low-cost techniques. In this report, nanotopography is specifically considered. Controlled patterns of 160 nm high nanocolumns were produced for in vitro cell culture using colloidal lithography. By studying cell adhesion with time and cytoskeletal (actin, tubulin, and vimentin) maturity, insight has been gained as to how fibroblasts adhere to these nanofeatures.

Intracellular stress tomography reveals stress focusing and structural anisotropy in cytoskeleton of living cells

We describe a novel synchronous detection approach to map the transmission of mechanical stresses within the cytoplasm of an adherent cell. Using fluorescent protein-labeled mitochondria or cytoskeletal components as fiducial markers, we measured displacements and computed stresses in the cytoskeleton of a living cell plated on extracellular matrix molecules that arise in response to a small, external localized oscillatory load applied to transmembrane receptors on the apical cell surface. Induced synchronous displacements, stresses, and phase lags were found to be concentrated at sites quite remote from the localized load and were modulated by the preexisting tensile stress (prestress) in the cytoskeleton. Stresses applied at the apical surface also resulted in displacements of focal adhesion sites at the cell base. Cytoskeletal anisotropy was revealed by differential phase lags in X vs. Y directions. Displacements and stresses in the cytoskeleton of a cell plated on poly-L-lysine decayed quickly and were not concentrated at remote sites. These data indicate that mechanical forces are transferred across discrete cytoskeletal elements over long distances through the cytoplasm in the living adherent cell.

Activation of NF-kappaB nuclear transcription factor by flow in human endothelial cells

The tractive force generated by blood flow, called fluid shear stress, is an important regulator of endothelial cell gene expression. Several transcription factors are activated by shear stress, including members of the NF-kappaB/Rel family. The nature of the upstream-signaling components involved in the activation of NF-kappaB by flow has been studied in human endothelial cells. Flow rapidly increased endogenous IKK1/2 activity and transiently degraded IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta1, but not p105/p50. Nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit was induced by flow in wild-type (w/t) cells and in cells overexpressing w/t NIK, IKK1 or IKK2, but not in cells transiently transfected with kinase-inactive mutants of these enzymes. Nuclear translocation of p65 in response to flow was not affected by overexpressing a dominant-negative mutant of a MAPKKK related to NIK, called TPL2 kinase, nor by pretreating cells with the selective PKC inhibitor bisindoylmaleimide-1. Gel shift assays showed that the binding of p50/p65 heterodimer to radiolabeled oligonucleotide containing a shear-stress response element was increased by flow. The activity of a 3kappaB conA-luciferase reporter was also increased, confirming that NF-kappaB activated by flow was transcriptionally active. We conclude that shear stress induces gene transactivation by NF-kappaB (p50/p65) via the NIK-IKK1/2 pathway and proteosome-dependent degradation of IkappaB and that induction by flow does not involve TPL-2 kinase or PKC.

Mechanics of vimentin intermediate filaments

It is increasingly evident that the cytoskeleton of living cells plays important roles in mechanical and biological functions of the cells. Here we focus on the contribution of intermediate filaments (IFs) to the mechanical behaviors of living cells. Vimentin, a major structural component of IFs in many cell types, is shown to play an important role in vital mechanical and biological functions such as cell contractility, migration, stiffness, stiffening, and proliferation.

Mapping mechanical strain of an endogenous cytoskeletal network in living endothelial cells

A central aspect of cellular mechanochemical signaling is a change of cytoskeletal tension upon the imposition of exogenous forces. Here we report measurements of the spatiotemporal distribution of mechanical strain in the intermediate filament cytoskeleton of endothelial cells computed from the relative displacement of endogenous green fluorescent protein (GFP)-vimentin before and after onset of shear stress. Quantitative image analysis permitted computation of the principal values and orientations of Lagrangian strain from 3-D high-resolution fluorescence intensity distributions that described intermediate filament positions. Spatially localized peaks in intermediate filament strain were repositioned after onset of shear stress. The orientation of principal strain indicated that mechanical stretching was induced across cell boundaries. This novel approach for intracellular strain mapping using an endogenous reporter demonstrates force transfer from the lumenal surface throughout the cell.

Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology

In 1993, a Commentary in this journal described how a simple mechanical model of cell structure based on tensegrity architecture can help to explain how cell shape, movement and cytoskeletal mechanics are controlled, as well as how cells sense and respond to mechanical forces (J. Cell Sci. 104, 613-627). The cellular tensegrity model can now be revisited and placed in context of new advances in our understanding of cell structure, biological networks and mechanoregulation that have been made over the past decade. Recent work provides strong evidence to support the use of tensegrity by cells, and mathematical formulations of the model predict many aspects of cell behavior. In addition, development of the tensegrity theory and its translation into mathematical terms are beginning to allow us to define the relationship between mechanics and biochemistry at the molecular level and to attack the larger problem of biological complexity. Part I of this two-part article covers the evidence for cellular tensegrity at the molecular level and describes how this building system may provide a structural basis for the hierarchical organization of living systems--from molecule to organism. Part II, which focuses on how these structural networks influence information processing networks, appears in the next issue.

Fluid shear stress and the vascular endothelium: for better and for worse

As blood flows, the vascular wall is constantly subjected to physical forces, which regulate important physiological blood vessel responses, as well as being implicated in the development of arterial wall pathologies. Changes in blood flow, thus generating altered hemodynamic forces are responsible for acute vessel tone regulation, the development of blood vessel structure during embryogenesis and early growth, as well as chronic remodeling and generation of adult blood vessels. The complex interaction of biomechanical forces, and more specifically shear stress, derived by the flow of blood and the vascular endothelium raise many yet to be answered questions:How are mechanical forces transduced by endothelial cells into a biological response, and is there a "shear stress receptor"?Are "mechanical receptors" and the final signaling pathways they evoke similar to other stimulus-response transduction systems?How do vascular endothelial cells differ in their response to physiological or pathological shear stresses?Can shear stress receptors or shear stress responsive genes serve as novel targets for the design of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for cardiovascular pathologies?The current review attempts to bring together recent findings on the in vivo and in vitro responses of the vascular endothelium to shear stress and to address some of the questions raised above.

Nucleus alignment and cell signaling in fibroblasts: response to a micro-grooved topography

Cellular response to scaffold materials is of great importance in cellular and tissue engineering, and it is perhaps the initial cell contact with the scaffold that determines development of new tissue. Material surface morphology has strong effects on cell cytoskeleton and morphology, and it is thought that cells may react to the topography of collagen and surrounding cells during tissue embryology. A poorly understood area is, however, gene-level responses to topography. Thus, this paper used microarray to probe for consistent gene changes in response to lithographically produced topography (12.5 x 2-microm grooves) with time. The results showed many initial gene changes and also down-regulation of gene response with time. Cell and nucleus morphology were also considered, with nuclear deformation linked to cell signaling.

Spatial microstimuli in endothelial mechanosignaling

Descriptive and quantitative analyses of microstimuli in living endothelial cells strongly support an integrated mechanism of mechanotransduction regulated by the spatial organization of multiple structural and signaling networks. Endothelial responses to blood flow are regulated at multiple levels of organization extending over scales from vascular beds to single cells, subcellular structures, and individual molecules. Microstimuli at the cellular and subcellular levels exhibit temporal and spatial complexities that are increasingly accessible to measurement. We address the cell and subcellular physical interface between flow-related forces and biomechanical responses of the endothelial cell. Live cell imaging and computational analyses of structural dynamics, two important approaches to microstimulation at this scale, are briefly reviewed.

Mechanical signaling and the cellular response to extracellular matrix in angiogenesis and cardiovascular physiology

Great advances have been made in the identification of the soluble angiogenic factors, insoluble extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and receptor signaling pathways that mediate control of angiogenesis--the growth of blood capillaries. This review focuses on work that explores how endothelial cells integrate these chemical signals with mechanical cues from their local tissue microenvironment so as to produce functional capillary networks that exhibit specialized form as well as function. These studies have revealed that ECM governs whether an endothelial cell will switch between growth, differentiation, motility, or apoptosis programs in response to a soluble stimulus based on its ability to mechanically resist cell tractional forces and thereby produce cell and cytoskeletal distortion. Transmembrane integrin receptors play a key role in this mechanochemical transduction process because they both organize a cytoskeletal signaling complex within the focal adhesion and preferentially focus mechanical forces on this site. Molecular filaments within the internal cytoskeleton--microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments--also contribute to the cell's structural and functional response to mechanical stress through their role as discrete support elements within a tensegrity-stabilized cytoskeletal array. Importantly, a similar form of mechanical control also has been shown to be involved in the regulation of contractility in vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes. Thus, the mechanism by which cells perform mechanochemical transduction and the implications of these findings for morphogenetic control are discussed in the wider context of vascular development and cardiovascular physiology.

Dual effect of fluid shear stress on volume-regulated anion current in bovine aortic endothelial cells

The key mechanism responsible for maintaining cell volume homeostasis is activation of volume-regulated anion current (VRAC). The role of hemodynamic shear stress in the regulation of VRAC in bovine aortic endothelial cells was investigated. We showed that acute changes in shear stress have a biphasic effect on the development of VRAC. A shear stress step from a background flow (0.1 dyn/cm(2)) to 1 dyn/cm(2) enhanced VRAC activation induced by an osmotic challenge. Flow alone, in the absence of osmotic stress, did not induce VRAC activation. Increasing the shear stress to 3 dyn/cm(2), however, resulted in only a transient increase of VRAC activity followed by an inhibitory phase during which VRAC was gradually suppressed. When shear stress was increased further (5-10 dyn/cm(2)), the current was immediately strongly suppressed. Suppression of VRAC was observed both in cells challenged osmotically and in cells that developed spontaneous VRAC under isotonic conditions. Our findings suggest that shear stress is an important factor in regulating the ability of vascular endothelial cells to maintain volume homeostasis.

Three-dimensional cellular deformation analysis with a two-photon magnetic manipulator workstation

The ability to apply quantifiable mechanical stresses at the microscopic scale is critical for studying cellular responses to mechanical forces. This necessitates the use of force transducers that can apply precisely controlled forces to cells while monitoring the responses noninvasively. This paper describes the development of a micromanipulation workstation integrating two-photon, three-dimensional imaging with a high-force, uniform-gradient magnetic manipulator. The uniform-gradient magnetic field applies nearly uniform forces to a large cell population, permitting statistical quantification of select molecular responses to mechanical stresses. The magnetic transducer design is capable of exerting over 200 pN of force on 4.5-microm-diameter paramagnetic particles and over 800 pN on 5.0-microm ferromagnetic particles. These forces vary within +/-10% over an area 500 x 500 microm2. The compatibility with the use of high numerical aperture (approximately 1.0) objectives is an integral part of the workstation design allowing submicron-resolution, three-dimensional, two-photon imaging. Three-dimensional analyses of cellular deformation under localized mechanical strain are reported. These measurements indicate that the response of cells to large focal stresses may contain three-dimensional global deformations and show the suitability of this workstation to further studying cellular response to mechanical stresses.

The convergence of haemodynamics, genomics, and endothelial structure in studies of the focal origin of atherosclerosis

The completion of the Human Genome Project and ongoing sequencing of mouse, rat and other genomes has led to an explosion of genetics-related technologies that are finding their way into all areas of biological research; the field of biorheology is no exception. Here we outline how two disparate modern molecular techniques, microarray analyses of gene expression and real-time spatial imaging of living cell structures, are being utilized in studies of endothelial mechanotransduction associated with controlled shear stress in vitro and haemodynamics in vivo. We emphasize the value of such techniques as components of an integrated understanding of vascular rheology. In mechanotransduction, a systems approach is recommended that encompasses fluid dynamics, cell biomechanics, live cell imaging, and the biochemical, cell biology and molecular biology methods that now encompass genomics. Microarrays are a useful and powerful tool for such integration by identifying simultaneous changes in the expression of many genes associated with interconnecting mechanoresponsive cellular pathways.

Focal contacts as mechanosensors: externally applied local mechanical force induces growth of focal contacts by an mDia1-dependent and ROCK-independent mechanism

The transition of cell-matrix adhesions from the initial punctate focal complexes into the mature elongated form, known as focal contacts, requires GTPase Rho activity. In particular, activation of myosin II-driven contractility by a Rho target known as Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) was shown to be essential for focal contact formation. To dissect the mechanism of Rho-dependent induction of focal contacts and to elucidate the role of cell contractility, we applied mechanical force to vinculin-containing dot-like adhesions at the cell edge using a micropipette. Local centripetal pulling led to local assembly and elongation of these structures and to their development into streak-like focal contacts, as revealed by the dynamics of green fluorescent protein-tagged vinculin or paxillin and interference reflection microscopy. Inhibition of Rho activity by C3 transferase suppressed this force-induced focal contact formation. However, constitutively active mutants of another Rho target, the formin homology protein mDia1 (Watanabe, N., T. Kato, A. Fujita, T. Ishizaki, and S. Narumiya. 1999. Nat. Cell Biol. 1:136-143), were sufficient to restore force-induced focal contact formation in C3 transferase-treated cells. Force-induced formation of the focal contacts still occurred in cells subjected to myosin II and ROCK inhibition. Thus, as long as mDia1 is active, external tension force bypasses the requirement for ROCK-mediated myosin II contractility in the induction of focal contacts. Our experiments show that integrin-containing focal complexes behave as individual mechanosensors exhibiting directional assembly in response to local force.