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Cao R, Tian H, Tian Y, Fu X. A Hierarchical Mechanotransduction System: From Macro to Micro. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2302327. [PMID: 38145330 PMCID: PMC10953595 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction is a strictly regulated process whereby mechanical stimuli, including mechanical forces and properties, are sensed and translated into biochemical signals. Increasing data demonstrate that mechanotransduction is crucial for regulating macroscopic and microscopic dynamics and functionalities. However, the actions and mechanisms of mechanotransduction across multiple hierarchies, from molecules, subcellular structures, cells, tissues/organs, to the whole-body level, have not been yet comprehensively documented. Herein, the biological roles and operational mechanisms of mechanotransduction from macro to micro are revisited, with a focus on the orchestrations across diverse hierarchies. The implications, applications, and challenges of mechanotransduction in human diseases are also summarized and discussed. Together, this knowledge from a hierarchical perspective has the potential to refresh insights into mechanotransduction regulation and disease pathogenesis and therapy, and ultimately revolutionize the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Cao
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismCenter for Diabetes Metabolism ResearchState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China Medical SchoolWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation CenterChengduSichuan610041China
| | - Huimin Tian
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismCenter for Diabetes Metabolism ResearchState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China Medical SchoolWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation CenterChengduSichuan610041China
| | - Yan Tian
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismCenter for Diabetes Metabolism ResearchState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China Medical SchoolWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation CenterChengduSichuan610041China
| | - Xianghui Fu
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismCenter for Diabetes Metabolism ResearchState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China Medical SchoolWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation CenterChengduSichuan610041China
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Scott AK, Rafuse M, Neu CP. Mechanically induced alterations in chromatin architecture guide the balance between cell plasticity and mechanical memory. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1084759. [PMID: 37143893 PMCID: PMC10151697 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1084759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, or adaptability, of a cell determines its ability to survive and function within changing cellular environments. Changes in the mechanical environment, ranging from stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to physical stress such as tension, compression, and shear, are critical environmental cues that influence phenotypic plasticity and stability. Furthermore, an exposure to a prior mechanical signal has been demonstrated to play a fundamental role in modulating phenotypic changes that persist even after the mechanical stimulus is removed, creating stable mechanical memories. In this mini review, our objective is to highlight how the mechanical environment alters both phenotypic plasticity and stable memories through changes in chromatin architecture, mainly focusing on examples in cardiac tissue. We first explore how cell phenotypic plasticity is modulated in response to changes in the mechanical environment, and then connect the changes in phenotypic plasticity to changes in chromatin architecture that reflect short-term and long-term memories. Finally, we discuss how elucidating the mechanisms behind mechanically induced chromatin architecture that lead to cell adaptations and retention of stable mechanical memories could uncover treatment methods to prevent mal-adaptive permanent disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne K. Scott
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Michael Rafuse
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Corey P. Neu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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Ghosh S, Scott AK, Seelbinder B, Barthold JE, Martin BMS, Kaonis S, Schneider SE, Henderson JT, Neu CP. Dedifferentiation alters chondrocyte nuclear mechanics during in vitro culture and expansion. Biophys J 2022; 121:131-141. [PMID: 34800469 PMCID: PMC8758405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biophysical features of a cell can provide global insights into diverse molecular changes, especially in processes like the dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. Key biophysical markers of chondrocyte dedifferentiation include flattened cellular morphology and increased stress-fiber formation. During cartilage regeneration procedures, dedifferentiation of chondrocytes during in vitro expansion presents a critical limitation to the successful repair of cartilage tissue. Our study investigates how biophysical changes of chondrocytes during dedifferentiation influence the nuclear mechanics and gene expression of structural proteins located at the nuclear envelope. Through an experimental model of cell stretching and a detailed spatial intranuclear strain quantification, we identified that strain is amplified and the distribution of strain within the chromatin is altered under tensile loading in the dedifferentiated state. Further, using a confocal microscopy image-based finite element model and simulation of cell stretching, we found that the cell shape is the primary determinant of the strain amplification inside the chondrocyte nucleus in the dedifferentiated state. Additionally, we found that nuclear envelope proteins have lower gene expression in the dedifferentiated state. This study highlights the role of cell shape in nuclear mechanics and lays the groundwork to design biophysical strategies for the maintenance and enhancement of the chondrocyte phenotype during cell expansion with a goal of successful cartilage tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Ghosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; Translational Medicine Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
| | - Adrienne K Scott
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Benjamin Seelbinder
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Jeanne E Barthold
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Brittany M St Martin
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Samantha Kaonis
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; Translational Medicine Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Stephanie E Schneider
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | | | - Corey P Neu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO; Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
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Goelzer M, Goelzer J, Ferguson ML, Neu CP, Uzer G. Nuclear envelope mechanobiology: linking the nuclear structure and function. Nucleus 2021; 12:90-114. [PMID: 34455929 PMCID: PMC8432354 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2021.1962610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus, central to cellular activity, relies on both direct mechanical input as well as its molecular transducers to sense external stimuli and respond by regulating intra-nuclear chromatin organization that determines cell function and fate. In mesenchymal stem cells of musculoskeletal tissues, changes in nuclear structures are emerging as a key modulator of their differentiation and proliferation programs. In this review we will first introduce the structural elements of the nucleoskeleton and discuss the current literature on how nuclear structure and signaling are altered in relation to environmental and tissue level mechanical cues. We will focus on state-of-the-art techniques to apply mechanical force and methods to measure nuclear mechanics in conjunction with DNA, RNA, and protein visualization in living cells. Ultimately, combining real-time nuclear deformations and chromatin dynamics can be a powerful tool to study mechanisms of how forces affect the dynamics of genome function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Goelzer
- Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID, US
| | | | - Matthew L. Ferguson
- Biomolecular Science, Boise State University, Boise, ID, US
- Physics, Boise State University, Boise, ID, US
| | - Corey P. Neu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, US
| | - Gunes Uzer
- Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID, US
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Ghosh S, Cuevas VC, Seelbinder B, Neu CP. Image-Based Elastography of Heterochromatin and Euchromatin Domains in the Deforming Cell Nucleus. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2006109. [PMID: 33448065 PMCID: PMC7869959 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin of the eukaryotic cell nucleus comprises microscopically dense heterochromatin and loose euchromatin domains, each with distinct transcriptional ability and roles in cellular mechanotransduction. While recent methods are developed to characterize the mechanics of nucleus, measurement of intranuclear mechanics remains largely unknown. Here, the development of "nuclear elastography," which combines microscopic imaging and computational modeling to quantify the relative elasticity of the heterochromatin and euchromatin domains, is described. Using contracting murine embryonic cardiomyocytes, nuclear elastography reveals that the heterochromatin is almost four times stiffer than the euchromatin at peak deformation. The relative elasticity between the two domains changes rapidly during the active deformation of the cardiomyocyte in the normal physiological condition but progresses more slowly in cells cultured in a mechanically stiff environment, although the relative stiffness at peak deformation does not change. Further, it is found that the disruption of the Klarsicht, ANC-1, Syne Homology domain of the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton complex compromises the intranuclear elasticity distribution resulting in elastically similar heterochromatin and euchromatin. These results provide insight into the elastography dynamics of heterochromatin and euchromatin domains and provide a noninvasive framework to further investigate the mechanobiological function of subcellular and subnuclear domains limited only by the spatiotemporal resolution of the acquired images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Ghosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Victor Crespo Cuevas
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Benjamin Seelbinder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Corey P. Neu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
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Ghosh S, Seelbinder B, Henderson JT, Watts RD, Scott AK, Veress AI, Neu CP. Deformation Microscopy for Dynamic Intracellular and Intranuclear Mapping of Mechanics with High Spatiotemporal Resolution. Cell Rep 2020; 27:1607-1620.e4. [PMID: 31042484 PMCID: PMC8769958 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural heterogeneity is a hallmark of living cells that drives local mechanical properties and dynamic cellular responses. However, the robust quantification of intracellular mechanics is lacking from conventional methods. Here, we describe the development of deformation microscopy, which leverages conventional imaging and an automated hyperelastic warping algorithm to investigate strain history, deformation dynamics, and changes in structural heterogeneity within the interior of cells and cell nuclei. Using deformation microscopy, we found that partial or complete disruption of LINC complexes in cardiomyocytes in vitro and lamin A/C deficiency in myocytes in vivo abrogate dominant tensile loading in the nuclear interior. We also found that cells cultured on stiff substrates or in hyperosmotic conditions displayed abnormal strain burden and asymmetries at interchromatin regions, which are associated with active transcription. Deformation microscopy represents a foundational approach toward intracellular elastography, with the potential utility to provide mechanistic and quantitative insights in diverse mechanobiological applications. Ghosh et al. show that deformation microscopy, a technique based on image analysis and mechanics, reveals deformation dynamics and structural heterogeneity changes for several applications and at multiple scales, including tissues, cells, and nuclei. They reveal how the disruption of nuclear proteins and pathological conditions abrogate mechanical strain in the nuclear interior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Ghosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Benjamin Seelbinder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jonathan T Henderson
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ryan D Watts
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Adrienne K Scott
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Alexander I Veress
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Corey P Neu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Zhang J, Alisafaei F, Nikolić M, Nou XA, Kim H, Shenoy VB, Scarcelli G. Nuclear Mechanics within Intact Cells Is Regulated by Cytoskeletal Network and Internal Nanostructures. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1907688. [PMID: 32243075 PMCID: PMC7799396 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201907688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the cellular nucleus are extensively studied as they play a critical role in important processes, such as cell migration, gene transcription, and stem cell differentiation. While the mechanical properties of the isolated nucleus have been tested, there is a lack of measurements about the mechanical behavior of the nucleus within intact cells and specifically about the interplay of internal nuclear components with the intracellular microenvironment, because current testing methods are based on contact and only allow studying the nucleus after isolation from a cell or disruption of cytoskeleton. Here, all-optical Brillouin microscopy and 3D chemomechanical modeling are used to investigate the regulation of nuclear mechanics in physiological conditions. It is observed that the nuclear modulus can be modulated by epigenetic regulation targeting internal nuclear nanostructures such as lamin A/C and chromatin. It is also found that nuclear modulus is strongly regulated by cytoskeletal behavior through a robust mechanism conserved in different culturing conditions. Given the active role of cytoskeletal modulation in nearly all cell functions, this work will enable to reveal highly relevant mechanisms of nuclear mechanical regulations in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitao Zhang
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Farid Alisafaei
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Miloš Nikolić
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Xuefei A. Nou
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hanyoup Kim
- Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc., 9800 Medical Center Drive, Suite C-120, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Vivek B. Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Genin GM, Shenoy VB, Peng G, Buehler MJ. Integrated Multiscale Biomaterials Experiment and Modeling. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:2628-2632. [PMID: 31157296 PMCID: PMC6544164 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The integration of modeling and experimentation is an integral component of all engineering design. Developing the technologies to achieve this represents a critical challenge in biomaterials because of the hierarchical structures that comprise them and the spectra of timescales upon which they operate. Progress in integrating modeling and experiment in biomaterials represents progress towards harnessing them for engineering application. We present here a summary of the state of the art, and outlooks for the field as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy M Genin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, 1 Brookings Drive, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130 United States
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, 1 Brookings Drive, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130 United States
| | - Vivek B Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6391 United States
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6391 United States
| | - Grace Peng
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 202, Bethesda, MD 20892-5469 United States
| | - Markus J Buehler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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