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Skillin NP, Kirkpatrick BE, Herbert KM, Nelson BR, Hach GK, Günay KA, Khan RM, DelRio FW, White TJ, Anseth KS. Stiffness anisotropy coordinates supracellular contractility driving long-range myotube-ECM alignment. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn0235. [PMID: 38820155 PMCID: PMC11141631 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
The ability of cells to organize into tissues with proper structure and function requires the effective coordination of proliferation, migration, polarization, and differentiation across length scales. Skeletal muscle is innately anisotropic; however, few biomaterials can emulate mechanical anisotropy to determine its influence on tissue patterning without introducing confounding topography. Here, we demonstrate that substrate stiffness anisotropy coordinates contractility-driven collective cellular dynamics resulting in C2C12 myotube alignment over millimeter-scale distances. When cultured on mechanically anisotropic liquid crystalline polymer networks (LCNs) lacking topography, C2C12 myoblasts collectively polarize in the stiffest direction. Cellular coordination is amplified through reciprocal cell-ECM dynamics that emerge during fusion, driving global myotube-ECM ordering. Conversely, myotube alignment was restricted to small local domains with no directional preference on mechanically isotropic LCNs of the same chemical formulation. These findings provide valuable insights for designing biomaterials that mimic anisotropic microenvironments and underscore the importance of stiffness anisotropy in orchestrating tissue morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel P. Skillin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Bruce E. Kirkpatrick
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Katie M. Herbert
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Benjamin R. Nelson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Grace K. Hach
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Kemal Arda Günay
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Ryan M. Khan
- Material, Physical, and Chemical Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
| | - Frank W. DelRio
- Material, Physical, and Chemical Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
| | - Timothy J. White
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Kristi S. Anseth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
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Zhang H, Rahman T, Lu S, Adam AP, Wan LQ. Helical vasculogenesis driven by cell chirality. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj3582. [PMID: 38381835 PMCID: PMC10881055 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The cellular helical structure is well known for its crucial role in development and disease. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism governing this phenomenon remains largely unexplored, particularly in recapitulating it in well-controlled engineering systems. Leveraging advanced microfluidics, we present compelling evidence of the spontaneous emergence of helical endothelial tubes exhibiting robust right-handedness governed by inherent cell chirality. To strengthen our findings, we identify a consistent bias toward the same chirality in mouse vascular tissues. Manipulating endothelial cell chirality using small-molecule drugs produces a dose-dependent reversal of the handedness in engineered vessels, accompanied by non-monotonic changes in vascular permeability. Moreover, our three-dimensional cell vertex model provides biomechanical insights into the chiral morphogenesis process, highlighting the role of cellular torque and tissue fluidity in its regulation. Our study unravels an intriguing mechanism underlying vascular chiral morphogenesis, shedding light on the broader implications and distinctive perspectives of tubulogenesis within biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haokang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Tasnif Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Shuhan Lu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alejandro Pablo Adam
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Leo Q. Wan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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