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Lichtenberg JY, Ramamurthy E, Young AD, Redman TP, Leonard CE, Das SK, Fisher PB, Lemmon CA, Hwang PY. Leader cells mechanically respond to aligned collagen architecture to direct collective migration. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296153. [PMID: 38165954 PMCID: PMC10760762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Leader cells direct collective migration through sensing cues in their microenvironment to determine migration direction. The mechanism by which leader cells sense the mechanical cue of organized matrix architecture culminating in a mechanical response is not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effect of organized collagen matrix fibers on leader cell mechanics and demonstrate that leader cells protrude along aligned fibers resulting in an elongated phenotype of the entire cluster. Further, leader cells show increased mechanical interactions with their nearby matrix compared to follower cells, as evidenced by increased traction forces, increased and larger focal adhesions, and increased expression of integrin-α2. Together our results demonstrate changes in mechanical matrix cues drives changes in leader cell mechanoresponse that is required for directional collective migration. Our findings provide new insights into two fundamental components of carcinogenesis, namely invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessanne Y. Lichtenberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ella Ramamurthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Anna D. Young
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Trey P. Redman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Corinne E. Leonard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Swadesh K. Das
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Paul B. Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Priscilla Y. Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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2
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Beussman KM, Mollica MY, Leonard A, Miles J, Hocter J, Song Z, Stolla M, Han SJ, Emery A, Thomas WE, Sniadecki NJ. Black dots: High-yield traction force microscopy reveals structural factors contributing to platelet forces. Acta Biomater 2023; 163:302-311. [PMID: 34781024 PMCID: PMC9098698 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Measuring the traction forces produced by cells provides insight into their behavior and physiological function. Here, we developed a technique (dubbed 'black dots') that microcontact prints a fluorescent micropattern onto a flexible substrate to measure cellular traction forces without constraining cell shape or needing to detach the cells. To demonstrate our technique, we assessed human platelets, which can generate a large range of forces within a population. We find platelets that exert more force have more spread area, are more circular, and have more uniformly distributed F-actin filaments. As a result of the high yield of data obtainable by this technique, we were able to evaluate multivariate mixed effects models with interaction terms and conduct a clustering analysis to identify clusters within our data. These statistical techniques demonstrated a complex relationship between spread area, circularity, F-actin dispersion, and platelet force, including cooperative effects that significantly associate with platelet traction forces. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cells produce contractile forces during division, migration, or wound healing. Measuring cellular forces provides insight into their health, behavior, and function. We developed a technique that calculates cellular forces by seeding cells onto a pattern and quantifying how much each cell displaces the pattern. This technique is capable of measuring hundreds of cells without needing to detach them. Using this technique to evaluate human platelets, we find that platelets exerting more force tend to have more spread area, are more circular in shape, and have more uniformly distributed cytoskeletal filaments. Due to our high yield of data, we were able to apply statistical techniques that revealed combinatorial effects between these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Beussman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Molly Y Mollica
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Andrea Leonard
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jeffrey Miles
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - John Hocter
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Zizhen Song
- School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Moritz Stolla
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA; Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sangyoon J Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Ashley Emery
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Wendy E Thomas
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Nathan J Sniadecki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Resuscitation Engineering Science Unit (RESCU), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
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3
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Griggs LA, Lemmon CA. Spatial Gradients of E-Cadherin and Fibronectin in TGF-β1-Treated Epithelial Colonies Are Independent of Fibronectin Fibril Assembly. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076679. [PMID: 37047651 PMCID: PMC10095504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a dynamic, morphogenetic process characterized by a phenotypic shift in epithelial cells towards a motile and often invasive mesenchymal phenotype. We have previously demonstrated that EMT is associated with an increase in assembly of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (FN) into insoluble, viscoelastic fibrils. We have also demonstrated that Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1) localizes to FN fibrils, and disruption of FN assembly or disruption of TGF-β1 localization to FN fibrils attenuates EMT. Previous studies have shown that TGF-β1 induces spatial gradients of EMT in mammary epithelial cells cultured on FN islands, with cells at free edges of the island preferentially undergoing EMT. In the current work, we sought to investigate: (a) whether FN fibril assembly is also spatially patterned in response to TGF-β1, and (b) what effects FN fibril inhibition has on spatial gradients of E-Cadherin and FN fibrillogenesis. We demonstrate that mammary epithelial cells cultured on square micropatterns have fewer E-Cadherin-containing adherens junctions and assemble more FN fibrils at the periphery of the micropattern in response to increasing TGF-β1 concentration, indicating that TGF-β1 induces a spatial gradient of both E-Cadherin and FN fibrils. Inhibition of FN fibril assembly globally diminished E-Cadherin-containing adherens junctions and FN fibrillogenesis, but did not eliminate the spatial gradient of either. This suggests that global inhibition of FN reduces the degree of both FN fibrillogenesis and E-Cadherin-containing adherens junctions, but does not eliminate the spatial gradient of either, suggesting that spatial gradients of EMT and FN fibrillogenesis are influenced by additional factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Griggs
- Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christopher A Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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Pourmasoumi P, Moghaddam A, Nemati Mahand S, Heidari F, Salehi Moghaddam Z, Arjmand M, Kühnert I, Kruppke B, Wiesmann HP, Khonakdar HA. A review on the recent progress, opportunities, and challenges of 4D printing and bioprinting in regenerative medicine. JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE. POLYMER EDITION 2023; 34:108-146. [PMID: 35924585 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2022.2110480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Four-dimensional (4 D) printing is a novel emerging technology, which can be defined as the ability of 3 D printed materials to change their form and functions. The term 'time' is added to 3 D printing as the fourth dimension, in which materials can respond to a stimulus after finishing the manufacturing process. 4 D printing provides more versatility in terms of size, shape, and structure after printing the construct. Complex material programmability, multi-material printing, and precise structure design are the essential requirements of 4 D printing systems. The utilization of stimuli-responsive polymers has increasingly taken the place of cell traction force-dependent methods and manual folding, offering a more advanced technique to affect a construct's adjusted shape transformation. The present review highlights the concept of 4 D printing and the responsive bioinks used in 4 D printing, such as water-responsive, pH-responsive, thermo-responsive, and light-responsive materials used in tissue regeneration. Cell traction force methods are described as well. Finally, this paper aims to introduce the limitations and future trends of 4 D printing in biomedical applications based on selected key references from the last decade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Fatemeh Heidari
- Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Salehi Moghaddam
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arjmand
- Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Ines Kühnert
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Benjamin Kruppke
- Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials and Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Wiesmann
- Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials and Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hossein Ali Khonakdar
- Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), Tehran, Iran.,Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Fibronectin: Molecular Structure, Fibrillar Structure and Mechanochemical Signaling. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092443. [PMID: 34572092 PMCID: PMC8471655 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role as both structural scaffold and regulator of cell signal transduction in tissues. In times of ECM assembly and turnover, cells upregulate assembly of the ECM protein, fibronectin (FN). FN is assembled by cells into viscoelastic fibrils that can bind upward of 40 distinct growth factors and cytokines. These fibrils play a key role in assembling a provisional ECM during embryonic development and wound healing. Fibril assembly is also often upregulated during disease states, including cancer and fibrotic diseases. FN fibrils have unique mechanical properties, which allow them to alter mechanotransduction signals sensed and relayed by cells. Binding of soluble growth factors to FN fibrils alters signal transduction from these proteins, while binding of other ECM proteins, including collagens, elastins, and proteoglycans, to FN fibrils facilitates the maturation and tissue specificity of the ECM. In this review, we will discuss the assembly of FN fibrils from individual FN molecules; the composition, structure, and mechanics of FN fibrils; the interaction of FN fibrils with other ECM proteins and growth factors; the role of FN in transmitting mechanobiology signaling events; and approaches for studying the mechanics of FN fibrils.
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Kollimada S, Senger F, Vignaud T, Théry M, Blanchoin L, Kurzawa L. The biochemical composition of the actomyosin network sets the magnitude of cellular traction forces. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:1737-1748. [PMID: 34410837 PMCID: PMC8684728 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-03-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of cellular force production relies on the complex interplay between a well-conserved set of proteins of the cytoskeleton: actin, myosin, and α-actinin. Despite our deep knowledge of the role of these proteins in force production at the molecular scale, our understanding of the biochemical regulation of the magnitude of traction forces generated at the entire-cell level has been limited, notably by the technical challenge of measuring traction forces and the endogenous biochemical composition in the same cell. In this study, we developed an alternative Traction-Force Microscopy (TFM) assay, which used a combination of hydrogel micropatterning to define cell adhesion and shape and an intermediate fixation/immunolabeling step to characterize strain energies and the endogenous protein contents in single epithelial cells. Our results demonstrated that both the signal intensity and the area of the Focal Adhesion (FA)–associated protein vinculin showed a strong positive correlation with strain energy in mature FAs. Individual contents from actin filament and phospho-myosin displayed broader deviation in their linear relationship to strain energies. Instead, our quantitative analyzes demonstrated that their relative amount exhibited an optimum ratio of phospho-myosin to actin, allowing maximum force production by cells. By contrast, although no correlation was identified between individual α-actinin content and strain energy, the ratio of α-actinin to actin filaments was inversely related to strain energy. Hence, our results suggest that, in the cellular model studied, traction-force magnitude is dictated by the relative numbers of molecular motors and cross-linkers per actin filament, rather than the amounts of an individual component in the cytoskeletal network. This assay offers new perspectives to study in more detail the complex interplay between the endogenous biochemical composition of individual cells and the force they produce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somanna Kollimada
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabrice Senger
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France
| | - Timothée Vignaud
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France.,Clinique de chirurgie digestive et endocrinienne, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes, 44093, France
| | - Manuel Théry
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France.,Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, U976 Human Immunology Pathophysiology Immunotherapy (HIPI), CytoMorpho Lab, University of Paris, INSERM, CEA, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Blanchoin
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France.,Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, U976 Human Immunology Pathophysiology Immunotherapy (HIPI), CytoMorpho Lab, University of Paris, INSERM, CEA, Paris, France
| | - Laëtitia Kurzawa
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Grenoble, France
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Nguyen AK, Kilian KA. Physicochemical Tools for Visualizing and Quantifying Cell-Generated Forces. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1731-1746. [PMID: 32530602 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
To discern how mechanical forces coordinate biological outcomes, methods that map cell-generated forces in a spatiotemporal manner, and at cellular length scales, are critical. In their native environment, whether it be within compact multicellular three-dimensional structures or sparsely populated fibrillar networks of the extracellular matrix, cells are constantly exposed to a slew of physical forces acting on them from all directions. At the same time, cells exert highly localized forces of their own on their surroundings and on neighboring cells. Together, the generation and transmission of these forces can control diverse cellular activities and behavior as well as influence cell fate decisions. To thoroughly understand these processes, we must first be able to characterize and measure such forces. However, our experimental needs and technical capabilities are in discord-while it is apparent that we should study cell-generated forces within more biologically relevant 3D environments, this goal remains challenging because of caveats associated with complex "sensing-transduction-readout" modalities. In this Review, we will discuss the latest techniques for measuring cell-generated forces. We will highlight recent advances in traction force microscopy and examine new alternative approaches for quantifying cell-generated forces, both of individual cells and within 3D tissues. Finally, we will explore the future direction of novel cellular force-sensing tools in the context of mechanobiology and next-generation biomaterials design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley K. Nguyen
- School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Kristopher A. Kilian
- School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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