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Bakhshandeh B, Sorboni SG, Ranjbar N, Deyhimfar R, Abtahi MS, Izady M, Kazemi N, Noori A, Pennisi CP. Mechanotransduction in tissue engineering: Insights into the interaction of stem cells with biomechanical cues. Exp Cell Res 2023; 431:113766. [PMID: 37678504 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells in their natural microenvironment are exposed to biochemical and biophysical cues emerging from the extracellular matrix (ECM) and neighboring cells. In particular, biomechanical forces modulate stem cell behavior, biological fate, and early developmental processes by sensing, interpreting, and responding through a series of biological processes known as mechanotransduction. Local structural changes in the ECM and mechanics are driven by reciprocal activation of the cell and the ECM itself, as the initial deposition of matrix proteins sequentially affects neighboring cells. Recent studies on stem cell mechanoregulation have provided insight into the importance of biomechanical signals on proper tissue regeneration and function and have shown that precise spatiotemporal control of these signals exists in stem cell niches. Against this background, the aim of this work is to review the current understanding of the molecular basis of mechanotransduction by analyzing how biomechanical forces are converted into biological responses via cellular signaling pathways. In addition, this work provides an overview of advanced strategies using stem cells and biomaterial scaffolds that enable precise spatial and temporal control of mechanical signals and offer great potential for the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Bakhshandeh
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Nika Ranjbar
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roham Deyhimfar
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Sadat Abtahi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Izady
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid Kazemi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atefeh Noori
- Department of Biotechnology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Cristian Pablo Pennisi
- Regenerative Medicine Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
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2
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Erlich A, Étienne J, Fouchard J, Wyatt T. How dynamic prestress governs the shape of living systems, from the subcellular to tissue scale. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20220038. [PMID: 36330322 PMCID: PMC9560792 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells and tissues change shape both to carry out their function and during pathology. In most cases, these deformations are driven from within the systems themselves. This is permitted by a range of molecular actors, such as active crosslinkers and ion pumps, whose activity is biologically controlled in space and time. The resulting stresses are propagated within complex and dynamical architectures like networks or cell aggregates. From a mechanical point of view, these effects can be seen as the generation of prestress or prestrain, resulting from either a contractile or growth activity. In this review, we present this concept of prestress and the theoretical tools available to conceptualize the statics and dynamics of living systems. We then describe a range of phenomena where prestress controls shape changes in biopolymer networks (especially the actomyosin cytoskeleton and fibrous tissues) and cellularized tissues. Despite the diversity of scale and organization, we demonstrate that these phenomena stem from a limited number of spatial distributions of prestress, which can be categorized as heterogeneous, anisotropic or differential. We suggest that in addition to growth and contraction, a third type of prestress-topological prestress-can result from active processes altering the microstructure of tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jocelyn Étienne
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPHY, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Jonathan Fouchard
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, CNRS (UMR 7622), INSERM (URL 1156), 7 quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Tom Wyatt
- Wellcome Trust–Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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3
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Naqvi SM, McNamara LM. Stem Cell Mechanobiology and the Role of Biomaterials in Governing Mechanotransduction and Matrix Production for Tissue Regeneration. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:597661. [PMID: 33381498 PMCID: PMC7767888 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.597661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanobiology has underpinned many scientific advances in understanding how biophysical and biomechanical cues regulate cell behavior by identifying mechanosensitive proteins and specific signaling pathways within the cell that govern the production of proteins necessary for cell-based tissue regeneration. It is now evident that biophysical and biomechanical stimuli are as crucial for regulating stem cell behavior as biochemical stimuli. Despite this, the influence of the biophysical and biomechanical environment presented by biomaterials is less widely accounted for in stem cell-based tissue regeneration studies. This Review focuses on key studies in the field of stem cell mechanobiology, which have uncovered how matrix properties of biomaterial substrates and 3D scaffolds regulate stem cell migration, self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation, and activation of specific biological responses. First, we provide a primer of stem cell biology and mechanobiology in isolation. This is followed by a critical review of key experimental and computational studies, which have unveiled critical information regarding the importance of the biophysical and biomechanical cues for stem cell biology. This review aims to provide an informed understanding of the intrinsic role that physical and mechanical stimulation play in regulating stem cell behavior so that researchers may design strategies that recapitulate the critical cues and develop effective regenerative medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Naqvi
- Mechanobiology and Medical Device Research Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - L M McNamara
- Mechanobiology and Medical Device Research Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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4
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Shatkin G, Yeoman B, Birmingham K, Katira P, Engler AJ. Computational models of migration modes improve our understanding of metastasis. APL Bioeng 2020; 4:041505. [PMID: 33195959 PMCID: PMC7647620 DOI: 10.1063/5.0023748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells migrate through changing microenvironments of diseased and healthy tissue, making their migration particularly challenging to describe. To better understand this process, computational models have been developed for both the ameboid and mesenchymal modes of cell migration. Here, we review various approaches that have been used to account for the physical environment's effect on cell migration in computational models, with a focus on their application to understanding cancer metastasis and the related phenomenon of durotaxis. We then discuss how mesenchymal migration models typically simulate complex cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, while ameboid migration models use a cell-focused approach that largely ignores ECM when not acting as a physical barrier. This approach greatly simplifies or ignores the mechanosensing ability of ameboid migrating cells and should be reevaluated in future models. We conclude by describing future model elements that have not been included to date but would enhance model accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Shatkin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | | | - Katherine Birmingham
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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5
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Mierke CT. Mechanical Cues Affect Migration and Invasion of Cells From Three Different Directions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:583226. [PMID: 33043017 PMCID: PMC7527720 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.583226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell migration and invasion is a key driving factor for providing essential cellular functions under physiological conditions or the malignant progression of tumors following downward the metastatic cascade. Although there has been plentiful of molecules identified to support the migration and invasion of cells, the mechanical aspects have not yet been explored in a combined and systematic manner. In addition, the cellular environment has been classically and frequently assumed to be homogeneous for reasons of simplicity. However, motility assays have led to various models for migration covering only some aspects and supporting factors that in some cases also include mechanical factors. Instead of specific models, in this review, a more or less holistic model for cell motility in 3D is envisioned covering all these different aspects with a special emphasis on the mechanical cues from a biophysical perspective. After introducing the mechanical aspects of cell migration and invasion and presenting the heterogeneity of extracellular matrices, the three distinct directions of cell motility focusing on the mechanical aspects are presented. These three different directions are as follows: firstly, the commonly used invasion tests using structural and structure-based mechanical environmental signals; secondly, the mechano-invasion assay, in which cells are studied by mechanical forces to migrate and invade; and thirdly, cell mechanics, including cytoskeletal and nuclear mechanics, to influence cell migration and invasion. Since the interaction between the cell and the microenvironment is bi-directional in these assays, these should be accounted in migration and invasion approaches focusing on the mechanical aspects. Beyond this, there is also the interaction between the cytoskeleton of the cell and its other compartments, such as the cell nucleus. In specific, a three-element approach is presented for addressing the effect of mechanics on cell migration and invasion by including the effect of the mechano-phenotype of the cytoskeleton, nucleus and the cell's microenvironment into the analysis. In precise terms, the combination of these three research approaches including experimental techniques seems to be promising for revealing bi-directional impacts of mechanical alterations of the cellular microenvironment on cells and internal mechanical fluctuations or changes of cells on the surroundings. Finally, different approaches are discussed and thereby a model for the broad impact of mechanics on cell migration and invasion is evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- Faculty of Physics and Earth Science, Peter Debye Institute of Soft Matter Physics, Biological Physics Division, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Biggs MJP, Fernandez M, Thomas D, Cooper R, Palma M, Liao J, Fazio T, Dahlberg C, Wheadon H, Pallipurath A, Pandit A, Kysar J, Wind SJ. The Functional Response of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Electron-Beam Patterned Elastomeric Surfaces Presenting Micrometer to Nanoscale Heterogeneous Rigidity. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:10.1002/adma.201702119. [PMID: 28861921 PMCID: PMC7391933 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201702119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Cells directly probe and respond to the physicomechanical properties of their extracellular environment, a dynamic process which has been shown to play a key role in regulating both cellular adhesive processes and differential cellular function. Recent studies indicate that stem cells show lineage-specific differentiation when cultured on substrates approximating the stiffness profiles of specific tissues. Although tissues are associated with a range of Young's modulus values for bulk rigidity, at the subcellular level, tissues are comprised of heterogeneous distributions of rigidity. Lithographic processes have been widely explored in cell biology for the generation of analytical substrates to probe cellular physicomechanical responses. In this work, it is shown for the first time that that direct-write e-beam exposure can significantly alter the rigidity of elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrates and a new class of 2D elastomeric substrates with controlled patterned rigidity ranging from the micrometer to the nanoscale is described. The mechanoresponse of human mesenchymal stem cells to e-beam patterned substrates was subsequently probed in vitro and significant modulation of focal adhesion formation and osteochondral lineage commitment was observed as a function of both feature diameter and rigidity, establishing the groundwork for a new generation of biomimetic material interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manus J. P. Biggs
- Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), Biosciences Research Building, Newcastle Road, Dangan, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Marc Fernandez
- Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), Biosciences Research Building, Newcastle Road, Dangan, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Dilip Thomas
- Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), Biosciences Research Building, Newcastle Road, Dangan, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ryan Cooper
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
| | - Matteo Palma
- The School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jinyu Liao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th St. New York, NY, USA 10027
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
| | - Teresa Fazio
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
| | - Carl Dahlberg
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
| | - Helen Wheadon
- Leukaemia Research Centre, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow G11 0YN, UK
| | | | - Abhay Pandit
- Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), Biosciences Research Building, Newcastle Road, Dangan, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jeffrey Kysar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
| | - Shalom J. Wind
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, 500 West 120 St., New York, NY, USA 10027
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7
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Virjula S, Zhao F, Leivo J, Vanhatupa S, Kreutzer J, Vaughan TJ, Honkala AM, Viehrig M, Mullen CA, Kallio P, McNamara LM, Miettinen S. The effect of equiaxial stretching on the osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties of human adipose stem cells. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2017; 72:38-48. [PMID: 28448920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although mechanical cues are known to affect stem cell fate and mechanobiology, the significance of such stimuli on the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of long-term mechanical stimulation on the attachment, osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties of hASCs. Tailor-made, pneumatic cell stretching devices were used to expose hASCs to cyclic equiaxial stretching in osteogenic medium. Cell attachment and focal adhesions were visualised using immunocytochemical vinculin staining on days 3 and 6, and the proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity, as a sign of early osteogenic differentiation, were analysed on days 0, 6 and 10. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of hASCs, in terms of apparent Young's modulus and normalised contractility, were obtained using a combination of atomic force microscopy based indentation and computational approaches. Our results indicated that cyclic equiaxial stretching delayed proliferation and promoted osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Stretching also reduced cell size and intensified focal adhesions and actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, cell stiffening was observed during osteogenic differentiation and especially under mechanical stimulation. These results suggest that cyclic equiaxial stretching modifies cell morphology, focal adhesion formation and mechanical properties of hASCs. This could be exploited to enhance osteogenic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanni Virjula
- Adult Stem Cell Group, BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Lääkärinkatu 1, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Science Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Biokatu 6, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Feihu Zhao
- Biomechanics Research Centre (BMEC), Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Joni Leivo
- Department of Automation Science and Engineering, BioMediTech, Tampere University of Technology, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Sari Vanhatupa
- Adult Stem Cell Group, BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Lääkärinkatu 1, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Science Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Biokatu 6, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Joose Kreutzer
- Department of Automation Science and Engineering, BioMediTech, Tampere University of Technology, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Ted J Vaughan
- Biomechanics Research Centre (BMEC), Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Anna-Maija Honkala
- Adult Stem Cell Group, BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Lääkärinkatu 1, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Science Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Biokatu 6, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Marlitt Viehrig
- Department of Automation Science and Engineering, BioMediTech, Tampere University of Technology, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Conleth A Mullen
- Biomechanics Research Centre (BMEC), Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Pasi Kallio
- Department of Automation Science and Engineering, BioMediTech, Tampere University of Technology, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Laoise M McNamara
- Biomechanics Research Centre (BMEC), Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Susanna Miettinen
- Adult Stem Cell Group, BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Lääkärinkatu 1, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Science Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Biokatu 6, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
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8
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Vassaux M, Milan JL. Stem cell mechanical behaviour modelling: substrate's curvature influence during adhesion. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2017; 16:1295-1308. [PMID: 28224241 PMCID: PMC5511597 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-017-0888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent experiments hint that adherent cells are sensitive to their substrate curvature. It is already well known that cells behaviour can be regulated by the mechanical properties of their environment. However, no mechanisms have been established regarding the influence of cell-scale curvature of the substrate. Using a numerical cell model, based on tensegrity structures theory and the non-smooth contact dynamics method, we propose to investigate the mechanical state of adherent cells on concave and convex hemispheres. Our mechanical cell model features a geometrical description of intracellular components, including the cell membrane, the focal adhesions, the cytoskeleton filament networks, the stress fibres, the microtubules, the nucleus membrane and the nucleoskeleton. The cell model has enabled us to analyse the evolution of the mechanical behaviour of intracellular components with varying curvature radii and with the removal of part of these components. We have observed the influence of the convexity of the substrate on the cell shape, the cytoskeletal force networks as well as on the nucleus strains. The more convex the substrate, the more tensed the stress fibres and the cell membrane, the more compressed the cytosol and the microtubules, leading to a stiffer cell. Furthermore, the more concave the substrate, the more stable and rounder the nucleus. These findings achieved using a verified virtual testing methodology, in particular regarding the nucleus stability, might be of significant importance with respect to the division and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. These results can also bring some hindsights on cell migration on curved substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vassaux
- Institute of Movement Sciences, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France. .,Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Institute for Locomotion, APHM, Sainte-Marguerite Hospital, 13009, Marseille, France.
| | - J L Milan
- Institute of Movement Sciences, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France.,Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Institute for Locomotion, APHM, Sainte-Marguerite Hospital, 13009, Marseille, France
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9
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Cóndor M, García-Aznar JM. A phenomenological cohesive model for the macroscopic simulation of cell-matrix adhesions. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2017; 16:1207-1224. [PMID: 28213831 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-017-0883-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cell adhesion is crucial for cells to not only physically interact with each other but also sense their microenvironment and respond accordingly. In fact, adherent cells can generate physical forces that are transmitted to the surrounding matrix, regulating the formation of cell-matrix adhesions. The main purpose of this work is to develop a computational model to simulate the dynamics of cell-matrix adhesions through a cohesive formulation within the framework of the finite element method and based on the principles of continuum damage mechanics. This model enables the simulation of the mechanical adhesion between cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) as regulated by local multidirectional forces and thus predicts the onset and growth of the adhesion. In addition, this numerical approach allows the simulation of the cell as a whole, as it models the complete mechanical interaction between cell and ECM. As a result, we can investigate and quantify how different mechanical conditions in the cell (e.g., contractile forces, actin cytoskeletal properties) or in the ECM (e.g., stiffness, external forces) can regulate the dynamics of cell-matrix adhesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cóndor
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - J M García-Aznar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
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10
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Bharadwaj NAK, Kang JG, Hatzell MC, Schweizer KS, Braun PV, Ewoldt RH. Integration of colloids into a semi-flexible network of fibrin. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:1430-1443. [PMID: 28124056 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm02141g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Typical colloid-polymer composites have particle diameters much larger than the polymer mesh size, but successful integration of smaller colloids into a large-mesh network could allow for the realization of new colloidal states of spatial organization and faster colloid motion which can allow the possibility of switchable re-configuration of colloids or more dramatic stimuli-responsive property changes. Experimental realization of such composites requires solving non-trivial materials selection and fabrication challenges; key questions include composition regime maps of successful composites, the resulting structure and colloidal contact network, and the mechanical properties, in particular the ability to form a network and retain strain stiffening in the presence of colloids. Here, we study these fundamental questions by formulating composites with fluorescent (though not stimuli-responsive) carboxylate modified polystyrene/latex (CML) colloidal particles (diameters 200 nm and 1000 nm) in bovine fibrin networks (a semi-flexible biopolymer network with mesh size 1-5 μm). We describe and characterize two methods of composite preparation: adding colloids before fibrinogen polymerization (Method I), and electrophoretically driving colloids into a network already formed by fibrinogen polymerization (Method II). We directly image the morphology of colloidal and fibrous components with two-color fluorescent confocal microscopy under wet conditions and SEM of fixed dry samples. Mechanical properties are studied with shear and extensional rheology. Both fabrication methods are successful, though with trade-offs. Method I retains the nonlinear strain-stiffening and extensibility of the native fibrin network, but some colloid clustering is observed and fibrin network integrity is lost above a critical colloid concentration that depends on fibrinogen and thrombin concentration. Larger colloids can be included at higher volume fractions before massive aggregation occurs, indicating surface interactions as a limiting factor. Method II results in a loss of measurable strain-stiffening, but colloids are well dispersed and template along the fibrous scaffold. The results here, with insight into both structure and rheology, form a foundational understanding for the integration of other colloids, e.g. with stimuli-responsive functionalities, into semi-flexible networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ashwin K Bharadwaj
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jin Gu Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Marta C Hatzell
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kenneth S Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Paul V Braun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Randy H Ewoldt
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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11
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Kuo PL, Charng CC, Wu PC, Li PC. Shear-wave elasticity measurements of three-dimensional cell cultures for mechanobiology. J Cell Sci 2016; 130:292-302. [PMID: 27505887 PMCID: PMC5394775 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.186320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying mechanobiology in three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures better recapitulates cell behaviors in response to various types of mechanical stimuli in vivo. Stiffening of the extracellular matrix resulting from cell remodeling potentiates many pathological conditions, including advanced cancers. However, an effective tool for measuring the spatiotemporal changes in elastic properties of such 3D cell cultures without directly contacting the samples has not been reported previously. We describe an ultrasonic shear-wave-based platform for quantitatively evaluating the spatiotemporal dynamics of the elasticity of a matrix remodeled by cells cultured in 3D environments. We used this approach to measure the elasticity changes of 3D matrices grown with highly invasive lung cancer cells and cardiac myoblasts, and to delineate the principal mechanism underlying the stiffening of matrices remodeled by these cells. The described approach can be a useful tool in fields investigating and manipulating the mechanotransduction of cells in 3D contexts, and also has potential as a drug-screening platform. Summary: Use of a non-direct-contact platform for measurement of the spatiotemporal dynamics of matrix elasticity when remodeled by cells cultured in three-dimensional contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Ling Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.,Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.,Department of Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Che Charng
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chen Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Pai-Chi Li
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan .,Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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12
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Cancer Cell Mechanics. PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING ADVANCES IN LIFE SCIENCES AND ONCOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-17930-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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13
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Webster KD, Ng WP, Fletcher DA. Tensional homeostasis in single fibroblasts. Biophys J 2015; 107:146-55. [PMID: 24988349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adherent cells generate forces through acto-myosin contraction to move, change shape, and sense the mechanical properties of their environment. They are thought to maintain defined levels of tension with their surroundings despite mechanical perturbations that could change tension, a concept known as tensional homeostasis. Misregulation of tensional homeostasis has been proposed to drive disorganization of tissues and promote progression of diseases such as cancer. However, whether tensional homeostasis operates at the single cell level is unclear. Here, we directly test the ability of single fibroblast cells to regulate tension when subjected to mechanical displacements in the absence of changes to spread area or substrate elasticity. We use a feedback-controlled atomic force microscope to measure and modulate forces and displacements of individual contracting cells as they spread on a fibronectin-patterned atomic-force microscope cantilever and coverslip. We find that the cells reach a steady-state contraction force and height that is insensitive to stiffness changes as they fill the micropatterned areas. Rather than maintaining a constant tension, the fibroblasts altered their contraction force in response to mechanical displacement in a strain-rate-dependent manner, leading to a new and stable steady-state force and height. This response is influenced by overexpression of the actin crosslinker α-actinin, and rheology measurements reveal that changes in cell elasticity are also strain- rate-dependent. Our finding of tensional buffering, rather than homeostasis, allows cells to transition between different tensional states depending on how they are displaced, permitting distinct responses to slow deformations during tissue growth and rapid deformations associated with injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Webster
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, California; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Win Pin Ng
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California; University of California Berkeley/University of California San Francisco Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California
| | - Daniel A Fletcher
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, California; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California; University of California Berkeley/University of California San Francisco Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.
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14
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Étienne J, Fouchard J, Mitrossilis D, Bufi N, Durand-Smet P, Asnacios A. Cells as liquid motors: mechanosensitivity emerges from collective dynamics of actomyosin cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:2740-5. [PMID: 25730854 PMCID: PMC4352826 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417113112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Living cells adapt and respond actively to the mechanical properties of their environment. In addition to biochemical mechanotransduction, evidence exists for a myosin-dependent purely mechanical sensitivity to the stiffness of the surroundings at the scale of the whole cell. Using a minimal model of the dynamics of actomyosin cortex, we show that the interplay of myosin power strokes with the rapidly remodeling actin network results in a regulation of force and cell shape that adapts to the stiffness of the environment. Instantaneous changes of the environment stiffness are found to trigger an intrinsic mechanical response of the actomyosin cortex. Cortical retrograde flow resulting from actin polymerization at the edges is shown to be modulated by the stress resulting from myosin contractility, which in turn, regulates the cell length in a force-dependent manner. The model describes the maximum force that cells can exert and the maximum speed at which they can contract, which are measured experimentally. These limiting cases are found to be associated with energy dissipation phenomena, which are of the same nature as those taking place during the contraction of a whole muscle. This similarity explains the fact that single nonmuscle cell and whole-muscle contraction both follow a Hill-like force-velocity relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Étienne
- Université Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, F-38000 Grenoble, France; and
| | - Jonathan Fouchard
- Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Paris, France
| | - Démosthène Mitrossilis
- Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Bufi
- Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Durand-Smet
- Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Paris, France
| | - Atef Asnacios
- Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Paris, France
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15
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Moeendarbary E, Harris AR. Cell mechanics: principles, practices, and prospects. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2014; 6:371-88. [PMID: 25269160 PMCID: PMC4309479 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cells generate and sustain mechanical forces within their environment as part of their normal physiology. They are active materials that can detect mechanical stimulation by the activation of mechanosensitive signaling pathways, and respond to physical cues through cytoskeletal re-organization and force generation. Genetic mutations and pathogens that disrupt the cytoskeletal architecture can result in changes to cell mechanical properties such as elasticity, adhesiveness, and viscosity. On the other hand, perturbations to the mechanical environment can affect cell behavior. These transformations are often a hallmark and symptom of a variety of pathologies. Consequently, there are now a myriad of experimental techniques and theoretical models adapted from soft matter physics and mechanical engineering to characterize cell mechanical properties. Interdisciplinary research combining modern molecular biology with advanced cell mechanical characterization techniques now paves the way for furthering our fundamental understanding of cell mechanics and its role in development, physiology, and disease. We describe a generalized outline for measuring cell mechanical properties including loading protocols, tools, and data interpretation.We summarize recent advances in the field and explain how cell biomechanics research can be adopted by physicists, engineers, biologists, and clinicians alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Hughes Hall, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
| | - Andrew R Harris
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, USA
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16
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Multicellular architecture of malignant breast epithelia influences mechanics. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101955. [PMID: 25111489 PMCID: PMC4128597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell–matrix and cell–cell mechanosensing are important in many cellular processes, particularly for epithelial cells. A crucial question, which remains unexplored, is how the mechanical microenvironment is altered as a result of changes to multicellular tissue structure during cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the influence of the multicellular tissue architecture on mechanical properties of the epithelial component of the mammary acinus. Using creep compression tests on multicellular breast epithelial structures, we found that pre-malignant acini with no lumen (MCF10AT) were significantly stiffer than normal hollow acini (MCF10A) by 60%. This difference depended on structural changes in the pre-malignant acini, as neither single cells nor normal multicellular acini tested before lumen formation exhibited these differences. To understand these differences, we simulated the deformation of the acini with different multicellular architectures and calculated their mechanical properties; our results suggest that lumen filling alone can explain the experimentally observed stiffness increase. We also simulated a single contracting cell in different multicellular architectures and found that lumen filling led to a 20% increase in the “perceived stiffness” of a single contracting cell independent of any changes to matrix mechanics. Our results suggest that lumen filling in carcinogenesis alters the mechanical microenvironment in multicellular epithelial structures, a phenotype that may cause downstream disruptions to mechanosensing.
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17
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Jansen KA, Bacabac RG, Piechocka IK, Koenderink GH. Cells actively stiffen fibrin networks by generating contractile stress. Biophys J 2014; 105:2240-51. [PMID: 24268136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During wound healing and angiogenesis, fibrin serves as a provisional extracellular matrix. We use a model system of fibroblasts embedded in fibrin gels to study how cell-mediated contraction may influence the macroscopic mechanical properties of their extracellular matrix during such processes. We demonstrate by macroscopic shear rheology that the cells increase the elastic modulus of the fibrin gels. Microscopy observations show that this stiffening sets in when the cells spread and apply traction forces on the fibrin fibers. We further show that the stiffening response mimics the effect of an external stress applied by mechanical shear. We propose that stiffening is a consequence of active myosin-driven cell contraction, which provokes a nonlinear elastic response of the fibrin matrix. Cell-induced stiffening is limited to a factor 3 even though fibrin gels can in principle stiffen much more before breaking. We discuss this observation in light of recent models of fibrin gel elasticity, and conclude that the fibroblasts pull out floppy modes, such as thermal bending undulations, from the fibrin network, but do not axially stretch the fibers. Our findings are relevant for understanding the role of matrix contraction by cells during wound healing and cancer development, and may provide design parameters for materials to guide morphogenesis in tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin A Jansen
- Biological Soft Matter Group, FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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18
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Hinz B. Matrix mechanics and regulation of the fibroblast phenotype. Periodontol 2000 2013; 63:14-28. [DOI: 10.1111/prd.12030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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19
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Ricca BL, Venugopalan G, Fletcher DA. To pull or be pulled: parsing the multiple modes of mechanotransduction. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2013; 25:558-64. [PMID: 23830123 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
A cell embedded in a multicellular organism will experience a wide range of mechanical stimuli over the course of its life. Fluid flows and neighboring cells actively exert stresses on the cell, while the cell's environment presents a set of passive mechanical properties that constrain its physical behavior. Cells respond to these varied mechanical cues through biological responses that regulate activities such as differentiation, morphogenesis, and proliferation, as well as material responses involving compression, stretching, and relaxation. Here, we break down recent studies of mechanotransduction on the basis of the input mechanical stimuli acting upon the cell and the output response of the cell. This framework provides a useful starting point for identifying overlaps in molecular players and sensing modalities, and it highlights how different timescales involved in biological and material responses to mechanical inputs could serve as a means for filtering important mechanical signals from noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Ricca
- Department of Bioengineering and Biophysics Program, University of California, Berkeley, 648 Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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20
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Sheets K, Wunsch S, Ng C, Nain AS. Shape-dependent cell migration and focal adhesion organization on suspended and aligned nanofiber scaffolds. Acta Biomater 2013; 9:7169-77. [PMID: 23567946 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Revised: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In the body, cells dynamically respond to chemical and mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM), yet precise mechanisms by which biophysical parameters (stiffness, topography and alignment) affect cell behavior remain unclear. Here, highly aligned and suspended multilayer polystyrene (PS) nanofiber scaffolds are used to study biophysical influences on focal adhesion complex (FAC) arrangement and associated migration behavior of mouse C2C12 cells arranged in specific shapes: spindle, parallel and polygonal. Furthermore, the role of cytoskeletal-altering drugs including blebbistatin, nocodazole and cytochalasin-D on FAC formation and migratory behavior is investigated. For the first time, this work reports that cells on suspended fiber networks, including cells with administered drugs, elongated along the fiber axes and developed longer (∼ 4×) and more concentrated FAC clusters compared to cells on flat PS control substrates. Additionally, substrate designs which topographically restrict sites of cell attachment and align adhesions were found to promote higher migration speeds (spindle: 52μmh(-1), parallel: 39μmh(-1), polygonal: 25μmh(-1), flat: 32μmh(-1)). This work demonstrates that suspended fiber topography-induced concentration of FACs along fiber axes generates increased migration potential as opposed to flat surfaces, which diffuse and randomly orient adhesions.
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21
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Borau C, Kamm RD, García-Aznar JM. A time-dependent phenomenological model for cell mechano-sensing. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2013; 13:451-62. [PMID: 23783520 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-013-0508-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Adherent cells normally apply forces as a generic means of sensing and responding to the mechanical nature of their surrounding environment. How these forces vary as a function of the extracellular rigidity is critical to understanding the regulatory functions that drive important phenomena such as wound healing or muscle contraction. In recognition of this fact, experiments have been conducted to understand cell rigidity-sensing properties under known conditions of the extracellular environment, opening new possibilities for modeling this active behavior. In this work, we provide a physics-based constitutive model taking into account the main structural components of the cell to reproduce its most significant contractile properties such as the traction forces exerted as a function of time and the extracellular stiffness. This model shows how the interplay between the time-dependent response of the acto-myosin contractile system and the elastic response of the cell components determines the mechano-sensing behavior of single cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Borau
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza Campus Rio Ebro, 50018 , Saragossa, Spain,
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22
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The mechanical environment modulates intracellular calcium oscillation activities of myofibroblasts. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64560. [PMID: 23691248 PMCID: PMC3653915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblast contraction is fundamental in the excessive tissue remodeling that is characteristic of fibrotic tissue contractures. Tissue remodeling during development of fibrosis leads to gradually increasing stiffness of the extracellular matrix. We propose that this increased stiffness positively feeds back on the contractile activities of myofibroblasts. We have previously shown that cycles of contraction directly correlate with periodic intracellular calcium oscillations in cultured myofibroblasts. We analyze cytosolic calcium dynamics using fluorescent calcium indicators to evaluate the possible impact of mechanical stress on myofibroblast contractile activity. To modulate extracellular mechanics, we seeded primary rat subcutaneous myofibroblasts on silicone substrates and into collagen gels of different elastic modulus. We modulated cell stress by cell growth on differently adhesive culture substrates, by restricting cell spreading area on micro-printed adhesive islands, and depolymerizing actin with Cytochalasin D. In general, calcium oscillation frequencies in myofibroblasts increased with increasing mechanical challenge. These results provide new insight on how changing mechanical conditions for myofibroblasts are encoded in calcium oscillations and possibly explain how reparative cells adapt their contractile behavior to the stresses occurring in normal and pathological tissue repair.
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23
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Ladoux B, Nicolas A. Physically based principles of cell adhesion mechanosensitivity in tissues. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2012; 75:116601. [PMID: 23085962 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/75/11/116601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The minimal structural unit that defines living organisms is a single cell. By proliferating and mechanically interacting with each other, cells can build complex organization such as tissues that ultimately organize into even more complex multicellular living organisms, such as mammals, composed of billions of single cells interacting with each other. As opposed to passive materials, living cells actively respond to the mechanical perturbations occurring in their environment. Tissue cell adhesion to its surrounding extracellular matrix or to neighbors is an example of a biological process that adapts to physical cues. The adhesion of tissue cells to their surrounding medium induces the generation of intracellular contraction forces whose amplitude adapts to the mechanical properties of the environment. In turn, solicitation of adhering cells with physical forces, such as blood flow shearing the layer of endothelial cells in the lumen of arteries, reinforces cell adhesion and impacts cell contractility. In biological terms, the sensing of physical signals is transduced into biochemical signaling events that guide cellular responses such as cell differentiation, cell growth and cell death. Regarding the biological and developmental consequences of cell adaptation to mechanical perturbations, understanding mechanotransduction in tissue cell adhesion appears as an important step in numerous fields of biology, such as cancer, regenerative medicine or tissue bioengineering for instance. Physicists were first tempted to view cell adhesion as the wetting transition of a soft bag having a complex, adhesive interaction with the surface. But surprising responses of tissue cell adhesion to mechanical cues challenged this view. This, however, did not exclude that cell adhesion could be understood in physical terms. It meant that new models and descriptions had to be created specifically for these biological issues, and could not straightforwardly be adapted from dead matter. In this review, we present physical concepts of tissue cell adhesion and the unexpected cellular responses to mechanical cues such as external forces and stiffness sensing. We show how biophysical approaches, both experimentally and theoretically, have contributed to our understanding of the regulation of cellular functions through physical force sensing mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the different physical models that could explain how tissue cell adhesion and force sensing can be coupled to internal mechanosensitive processes within the cell body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Ladoux
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), CNRS UMR 7057 & Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
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