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Liu J, Wang J, Wang Z, Ren H, Zhang Z, Fu Y, Li L, Shen Z, Li T, Tang S, Wei F. PGC-1α/LDHA signaling facilitates glycolysis initiation to regulate mechanically induced bone remodeling under inflammatory microenvironment. Bone 2024; 185:117132. [PMID: 38789096 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2024.117132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
The mechanosensitivity of inflammation can alter cellular mechanotransduction. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the metabolic mechanism of inflammation under mechanical force to guide tissue remodeling better. Herein, we found that inflammation hindered bone remodeling under mechanical force, accompanied by a simultaneous enhancement of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis. The control of metabolism direction through GNE-140 and Visomitin revealed that enhanced glycolysis might act as a compensatory mechanism to resist OXPHOS-induced osteoclastogenesis by promoting osteogenesis. The inhibited osteogenesis induced by inflammatory mechanical stimuli was concomitant with a reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α). PGC-1α knockdown impeded osteogenesis under mechanical force and facilitated osteoclastogenesis by enhancing OXPHOS. Conversely, PGC-1α overexpression attenuated the impairment of bone remodeling by inflammatory mechanical signals through promoting glycolysis. This process benefited from the PGC-1α regulation on the transcriptional and translational activity of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and the tight control of the extracellular acidic environment. Additionally, the increased binding between PGC-1α and LDHA proteins might contribute to the glycolysis promotion within the inflammatory mechanical environment. Notably, LDHA suppression effectively eliminated the bone repair effect mediated by PGC-1α overexpression within inflammatory mechanical environments. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a novel molecular mechanism illustrating how inflammation orchestrated glucose metabolism through glycolysis and OXPHOS to affect mechanically induced bone remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Liu
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jixiao Wang
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyao Wang
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Huiying Ren
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Zijie Zhang
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yajing Fu
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Lan Li
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Zhiyuan Shen
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Tianyi Li
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Shuai Tang
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Fulan Wei
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Research Center of Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China.
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2
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Hang JT, Wang H, Wang BC, Xu GK. Anisotropic power-law viscoelasticity of living cells is dominated by cytoskeletal network structure. Acta Biomater 2024; 180:197-205. [PMID: 38599439 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
During physiological and pathological processes, cells experience significant morphological alterations with the re-arrangement of cytoskeletal filaments, resulting in anisotropic viscoelasticity. Here, a structure-based cell model is proposed to study the anisotropic viscoelastic mechanical behaviors of living cells. We investigate how cell shape affects its creep responses in longitudinal and perpendicular directions. It is shown that cells exhibit power-law rheological behavior in both longitudinal and perpendicular directions under step stress, with a more solid-like behavior along the longitudinal direction. We reveal that the cell volume and cytoskeletal filament orientation, which have been neglected in most existing models, play a critical role in regulating cellular anisotropic viscoelasticity. The stiffness of the cell in both directions increases linearly with increasing its aspect ratio, due to the decrease of cell volume. Moreover, the increase in the cell's aspect ratio produces the aggregation of cytoskeletal filaments along the longitudinal direction, resulting in higher stiffness in this direction. It is also shown that the increase in cell's aspect ratio corresponds to a process of cellular ordering, which can be quantitatively characterized by the orientational entropy of cytoskeletal filaments. In addition, we present a simple yet robust method to establish the relationship between cell's aspect ratio and cell volume, thus providing a theoretical framework to capture the anisotropic viscoelastic behavior of cells. This study suggests that the structure-based cell models may be further developed to investigate cellular rheological responses to external mechanical stimuli and may be extended to the tissue scale. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The viscoelastic behaviors of cells hold significant importance in comprehending the roles of mechanical forces in embryo development, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. Here, a structure-based cell model is proposed to study the anisotropic viscoelastic mechanical behaviors of living cells. Our study highlights the crucial role of previously neglected factors, such as cell volume and cytoskeletal filament orientation, in regulating cellular anisotropic viscoelasticity. We further propose an orientational entropy of cytoskeletal filaments to quantitatively characterize the ordering process of cells with increasing aspect ratios. Moreover, we derived the analytical interrelationships between cell aspect ratio, cell stiffness, cell volume, and cytoskeletal fiber orientation. This study provides a theoretical framework to describe the anisotropic viscoelastic mechanical behavior of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiu-Tao Hang
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, SVL, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, SVL, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Bi-Cong Wang
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, SVL, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Guang-Kui Xu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, SVL, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
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3
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Wang B, Dong J, Yang F, Ju T, Wang J, Qu K, Wang Y, Tian Y, Wang Z. Determining the degree of chromosomal instability in breast cancer cells by atomic force microscopy. Analyst 2024; 149:1988-1997. [PMID: 38420857 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01815f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a source of genetic variation and is highly linked to the malignance of cancer. Determining the degree of CIN is necessary for understanding the role that it plays in tumor development. There is currently a lack of research on high-resolution characterization of CIN and the relationship between CIN and cell mechanics. Here, a method to determine CIN of breast cancer cells by high resolution imaging with atomic force microscopy (AFM) is explored. The numerical and structural changes of chromosomes in human breast cells (MCF-10A), moderately malignant breast cells (MCF-7) and highly malignant breast cells (MDA-MB-231) were observed and analyzed by AFM. Meanwhile, the nuclei, cytoskeleton and cell mechanics of the three kinds of cells were also investigated. The results showed the differences in CIN between the benign and cancer cells. Also, the degree of structural CIN increased with enhanced malignancy of cancer cells. This was also demonstrated by calculating the probability of micronucleus formation in these three kinds of cells. Meanwhile, we found that the area of the nucleus was related to the number of chromosomes in the nucleus. In addition, reduced or even aggregated actin fibers led to decreased elasticities in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. It was found that the rearrangement of actin fibers would affect the nucleus, and then lead to wrong mitosis and CIN. Using AFM to detect chromosomal changes in cells with different malignancy degrees provides a new detection method for the study of cell carcinogenesis with a perspective for targeted therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowei Wang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Jianjun Dong
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Fan Yang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Tuoyu Ju
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Junxi Wang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Kaige Qu
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Ying Wang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
| | - Yanling Tian
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Zuobin Wang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
- Centre for Opto/Bio-Nano Measurement and Manufacturing, Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528437, China
- JR3CN & IRAC, University of Bedfordshire, Luton LU1 3JU, UK
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Walther BK, Sears AP, Mojiri A, Avazmohammadi R, Gu J, Chumakova OV, Pandian NKR, Dominic A, Martiel JL, Yazdani SK, Cooke JP, Ohayon J, Pettigrew RI. Disrupted Stiffness Ratio Alters Nuclear Mechanosensing. MATTER 2023; 6:3608-3630. [PMID: 37937235 PMCID: PMC10627551 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The ability of endothelial cells to sense and respond to dynamic changes in blood flow is critical for vascular homeostasis and cardiovascular health. The mechanical and geometric properties of the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments affect mechanotransduction. We hypothesized that alterations to these parameters have resulting mechanosensory consequences. Using atomic force microscopy and mathematical modeling, we assessed how the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartment stiffnesses modulate shear stress transfer to the nucleus within aging endothelial cells. Our computational studies revealed that the critical parameter controlling shear transfer is not the individual mechanics of these compartments, but the stiffness ratio between them. Replicatively aged cells had a reduced stiffness ratio, attenuating shear transfer, while the ratio was not altered in a genetic model of accelerated aging. We provide a theoretical framework suggesting that dysregulation of the shear stress response can be uniquely imparted by relative mechanical changes in subcellular compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon K. Walther
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Adam P. Sears
- Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anahita Mojiri
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Reza Avazmohammadi
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jianhua Gu
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Olga V. Chumakova
- University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Abishai Dominic
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Saami K. Yazdani
- Wake Forest University, Department of Engineering, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - John P. Cooke
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jacques Ohayon
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, TIMC UMR 5525, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Savoie Mont-Blanc University, Polytech Annecy-Chambéry, 73376 Le Bourget du Lac, France
| | - Roderic I. Pettigrew
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Sun J, Chen J, Amar K, Wu Y, Jiang M, Wang N. LAP2β transmits force to upregulate genes via chromatin domain stretching but not compression. Acta Biomater 2023; 163:326-338. [PMID: 34700042 PMCID: PMC9033892 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.10.029] [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: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that force impacts almost every aspect of cells and tissues in physiology and disease including gene regulation. However, the molecular pathway of force transmission from the nuclear lamina to the chromatin remain largely elusive. Here we employ two different approaches of a local stress on cell apical surface via an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-coated magnetic bead and whole cell deformation at cell basal surface via uniaxial or biaxial deformation of a fibronectin-coated flexible polydimethylsiloxane substrate. We find that nuclear protein LAP2β mediates force transmission from the nuclear lamina to the chromatin. Knocking down LAP2β increases spontaneous movements of the chromatin by reducing tethering of the chromatin and substantially inhibits the magnetic bead-stress or the substrate-deformation induced chromatin domain stretching and the ensuing dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene upregulation. Analysis of DHFR gene-containing chromatin domain alignments along or perpendicular to the direction of the stretching/compressing reveals that the chromatin domain must be stretched and not compressed in order for the gene to be rapidly upregulated. Together these results suggest that external-load induced rapid transcription upregulation originates from chromatin domain stretching but not compressing and depends on the molecular force transmission pathway of LAP2β. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: How force regulates gene expression has been elusive. Here we show that the orientation of the chromatin domain relative to the stress direction is crucial in determining if the chromatin domain will be stretched or compressed in response to a cell surface loading. We also show that nuclear protein Lap2b is a critical molecule that mediates force transmission from the nuclear laminar to the chromatin to regulate gene transcription. This study reveals the molecular force transmission pathway for force-induced gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Junwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 China
| | - Kshitij Amar
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Yanyan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 China
| | - Mingxing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 China
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA.
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From tensegrity to human organs-on-chips: implications for mechanobiology and mechanotherapeutics. Biochem J 2023; 480:243-257. [PMID: 36821520 PMCID: PMC9987949 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The field of mechanobiology, which focuses on the key role that physical forces play in control of biological systems, has grown enormously over the past few decades. Here, I provide a brief personal perspective on the development of the tensegrity theory that contributed to the emergence of the mechanobiology field, the key role that crossing disciplines has played in its development, and how it has matured over time. I also describe how pursuing questions relating to mechanochemical transduction and mechanoregulation can lead to the creation of novel technologies and open paths for development of new therapeutic strategies for a broad range of diseases and disorders.
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Mohagheghian E, Luo J, Yavitt FM, Wei F, Bhala P, Amar K, Rashid F, Wang Y, Liu X, Ji C, Chen J, Arnold DP, Liu Z, Anseth KS, Wang N. Quantifying stiffness and forces of tumor colonies and embryos using a magnetic microrobot. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadc9800. [PMID: 36696474 PMCID: PMC10098875 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adc9800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stiffness and forces are two fundamental quantities essential to living cells and tissues. However, it has been a challenge to quantify both 3D traction forces and stiffness (or modulus) using the same probe in vivo. Here, we describe an approach that overcomes this challenge by creating a magnetic microrobot probe with controllable functionality. Biocompatible ferromagnetic cobalt-platinum microcrosses were fabricated, and each microcross (about 30 micrometers) was trapped inside an arginine-glycine-apartic acid-conjugated stiff poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) round microgel (about 50 micrometers) using a microfluidic device. The stiff magnetic microrobot was seeded inside a cell colony and acted as a stiffness probe by rigidly rotating in response to an oscillatory magnetic field. Then, brief episodes of ultraviolet light exposure were applied to dynamically photodegrade and soften the fluorescent nanoparticle-embedded PEG microgel, whose deformation and 3D traction forces were quantified. Using the microrobot probe, we show that malignant tumor-repopulating cell colonies altered their modulus but not traction forces in response to different 3D substrate elasticities. Stiffness and 3D traction forces were measured, and both normal and shear traction force oscillations were observed in zebrafish embryos from blastula to gastrula. Mouse embryos generated larger tensile and compressive traction force oscillations than shear traction force oscillations during blastocyst. The microrobot probe with controllable functionality via magnetic fields could potentially be useful for studying the mechanoregulation of cells, tissues, and embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Mohagheghian
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Junyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - F. Max Yavitt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Fuxiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Parth Bhala
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kshitij Amar
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Fazlur Rashid
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yuzheng Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chenyang Ji
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Junwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - David P. Arnold
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kristi S. Anseth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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8
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Mechanical stretch facilitates tenomodulin expression to induce tenocyte migration via MAPK signaling pathway. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 734:109486. [PMID: 36513131 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tenomodulin (Tnmd) is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that regulates tendon development and maturation. Our previous study indicated that mechanical stretch could induce Tnmd expression to promote tenocyte migration, associated with reinforcement of fibrous actin (F-actin) stress fibers and chromatin decondensation. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of this processes are far from clear. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling occurs in response to various extracellular stimuli and controls a large number of fundamental cellular processes. The present study we investigated the influence of MAPK signaling on mechanical stretch-induced Tnmd expression and its action way. Expression and activities of extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38 MAPK (p38) were determined by Western blot. Cell migration was detected by Transwell assay. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect F-actin stress fibers. Nuclear chromatin decondensation was detected by in situ DNaseI sensitivity assay. It was found that mechanical stretch promoted Tnmd expression by activating ERK1/2, JNK and p38 signaling. The inhibition of the ERK1/2, JNK or p38 repressed mechanical stretch-promoted tenocyte migration and mechanical stretch-induced reinforcement of F-actin stress fibers. However, only ERK1/2 and p38 inhibitor could repress mechanical stretch-induced chromatin decondensation, and the JNK inhibitor had no significant effect. Moreover, latrunculin (Lat A), the most widely used reagent to depolymerize actin filaments, could inhibit the stretch-induced chromatin decondensation. Taken together, our findings elucidated a molecular pathway by which a mechanical signal is transduced via activation of MAPK signaling to influence reinforcement of F-actin stress fibers and chromatin decondensation, which could further lead Tnmd expression to promote tenocyte migration.
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Zhang M, Zhang S, Shi J, Hu Y, Wu S, Zan Z, Zhao P, Gao C, Du Y, Wang Y, Lin F, Fu X, Li D, Qin P, Fan Z. Cell mechanical responses to subcellular perturbations generated by ultrasound and targeted microbubbles. Acta Biomater 2023; 155:471-481. [PMID: 36400351 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The inherently dynamic and anisotropic microenvironment of cells imposes not only global and slow physical stimulations on cells but also acute and local perturbations. However, cell mechanical responses to transient subcellular physical signals remain unclear. In this study, acoustically activated targeted microbubbles were used to exert mechanical perturbations to single cells. The cellular contractile force was sensed by elastic micropillar arrays, while the pillar deformations were imaged using brightfield high-speed video microscopy at a frame rate of 1k frames per second for the first 10s and then confocal fluorescence microscopy. Cell mechanical responses are accompanied by cell membrane integrity changes. Both processes are determined by the perturbation strength generated by microbubble volumetric oscillations. The instantaneous cellular traction force relaxation exhibits two distinct patterns, correlated with two cell fates (survival or permanent damage). The mathematical modeling unveils that force-induced actomyosin disassembly leads to gradual traction force relaxation in the first few seconds. The perturbation may also influence the far end subcellular regions from the microbubbles and may propagate into connected cells with attenuations and delays. This study carefully characterizes the cell mechanical responses to local perturbations induced by ultrasound and microbubbles, advancing our understanding of the fundamentals of cell mechano-sensing, -responsiveness, and -transduction. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Subcellular physical perturbations commonly exist but haven't been fully explored yet. The subcellular perturbation generated by ultrasound and targeted microbubbles covers a wide range of strength, from mild, intermediate to intense, providing a broad biomedical relevance. With µm2 spatial sensing ability and up to 1ms temporal resolution, we present spatiotemporal details of the instantaneous cellular contractile force changes followed by attenuated and delayed global responses. The correlation between the cell mechanical responses and cell fates highlights the important role of the instantaneous mechanical responses in the entire cellular reactive processes. Supported by mathematical modeling, our work provides new insights into the dynamics and mechanisms of cell mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiru Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Suyan Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianmin Shi
- School of Sensing Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shuying Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhaoguang Zan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Pu Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Changkai Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yanyao Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yulin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xing Fu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Dachao Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Peng Qin
- School of Sensing Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhenzhen Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Acoustics, Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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10
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Three-dimensional chiral morphodynamics of chemomechanical active shells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206159119. [PMID: 36442097 PMCID: PMC9894169 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206159119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis of active shells such as cells is a fundamental chemomechanical process that often exhibits three-dimensional (3D) large deformations and chemical pattern dynamics simultaneously. Here, we establish a chemomechanical active shell theory accounting for mechanical feedback and biochemical regulation to investigate the symmetry-breaking and 3D chiral morphodynamics emerging in the cell cortex. The active bending and stretching of the elastic shells are regulated by biochemical signals like actomyosin and RhoA, which, in turn, exert mechanical feedback on the biochemical events via deformation-dependent diffusion and inhibition. We show that active deformations can trigger chemomechanical bifurcations, yielding pulse spiral waves and global oscillations, which, with increasing mechanical feedback, give way to traveling or standing waves subsequently. Mechanical feedback is also found to contribute to stabilizing the polarity of emerging patterns, thus ensuring robust morphogenesis. Our results reproduce and unravel the experimentally observed solitary and multiple spiral patterns, which initiate asymmetric cleavage in Xenopus and starfish embryogenesis. This study underscores the crucial roles of mechanical feedback in cell development and also suggests a chemomechanical framework allowing for 3D large deformation and chemical signaling to explore complex morphogenesis in living shell-like structures.
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11
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How do cells stiffen? Biochem J 2022; 479:1825-1842. [PMID: 36094371 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cell stiffness is an important characteristic of cells and their response to external stimuli. In this review, we survey methods used to measure cell stiffness, summarize stimuli that alter cell stiffness, and discuss signaling pathways and mechanisms that control cell stiffness. Several pathological states are characterized by changes in cell stiffness, suggesting this property can serve as a potential diagnostic marker or therapeutic target. Therefore, we consider the effect of cell stiffness on signaling and growth processes required for homeostasis and dysfunction in healthy and pathological states. Specifically, the composition and structure of the cell membrane and cytoskeleton are major determinants of cell stiffness, and studies have identified signaling pathways that affect cytoskeletal dynamics both directly and by altered gene expression. We present the results of studies interrogating the effects of biophysical and biochemical stimuli on the cytoskeleton and other cellular components and how these factors determine the stiffness of both individual cells and multicellular structures. Overall, these studies represent an intersection of the fields of polymer physics, protein biochemistry, and mechanics, and identify specific mechanisms involved in mediating cell stiffness that can serve as therapeutic targets.
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12
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Li Y, Wong IY, Guo M. Reciprocity of Cell Mechanics with Extracellular Stimuli: Emerging Opportunities for Translational Medicine. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107305. [PMID: 35319155 PMCID: PMC9463119 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Human cells encounter dynamic mechanical cues in healthy and diseased tissues, which regulate their molecular and biophysical phenotype, including intracellular mechanics as well as force generation. Recent developments in bio/nanomaterials and microfluidics permit exquisitely sensitive measurements of cell mechanics, as well as spatiotemporal control over external mechanical stimuli to regulate cell behavior. In this review, the mechanobiology of cells interacting bidirectionally with their surrounding microenvironment, and the potential relevance for translational medicine are considered. Key fundamental concepts underlying the mechanics of living cells as well as the extracelluar matrix are first introduced. Then the authors consider case studies based on 1) microfluidic measurements of nonadherent cell deformability, 2) cell migration on micro/nano-topographies, 3) traction measurements of cells in three-dimensional (3D) matrix, 4) mechanical programming of organoid morphogenesis, as well as 5) active mechanical stimuli for potential therapeutics. These examples highlight the promise of disease diagnosis using mechanical measurements, a systems-level understanding linking molecular with biophysical phenotype, as well as therapies based on mechanical perturbations. This review concludes with a critical discussion of these emerging technologies and future directions at the interface of engineering, biology, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Ian Y Wong
- School of Engineering, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Joint Program in Cancer Biology, Brown University, 184 Hope St Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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13
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Liu G, Li J, Wu C. Reciprocal regulation of actin filaments and cellular metabolism. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151281. [PMID: 36343493 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For cells to adhere, migrate and proliferate, remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is required. This process consumes a large amount of ATP while having an intimate connection with cellular metabolism. Signaling pathways that regulate energy homeostasis can also affect actin dynamics, whereas a variety of actin binding proteins directly or indirectly interact with the anabolic and catabolic regulators in cells. Here, we discuss the inter-regulation between actin filaments and cellular metabolism, reviewing recent discoveries on key metabolic enzymes that respond to actin remodeling as well as historical findings on metabolic stress-induced cytoskeletal reorganization. We also address emerging techniques that would benefit the study of cytoskeletal dynamics and cellular metabolism in high spatial-temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geyao Liu
- Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Congying Wu
- Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; International Cancer Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
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14
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Liu W, Padhi A, Zhang X, Narendran J, Anastasio MA, Nain AS, Irudayaraj J. Dynamic Heterochromatin States in Anisotropic Nuclei of Cells on Aligned Nanofibers. ACS NANO 2022; 16:10754-10767. [PMID: 35803582 PMCID: PMC9332347 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c02660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The cancer cell nucleus deforms as it invades the interstitial spaces in tissues and the tumor microenvironment. While alteration of the chromatin structure in a deformed nucleus is expected and documented, the chromatin structure in the nuclei of cells on aligned matrices has not been elucidated. In this work we elucidate the spatiotemporal organization of heterochromatin in the elongated nuclei of cells on aligned nanofibers with stimulated emission depletion nanoscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We show that the anisotropy of nuclei is sufficient to drive H3K9me3-heterochromatin alterations, with enhanced H3K9me3 nanocluster compaction and aggregation states that otherwise are indistinguishable from diffraction-limited microscopy. We interrogated the higher-order heterochromatin structures within major chromatin compartments in anisotropic nuclei and discovered a wider spatial dispersion of nanodomain clusters in the nucleoplasm and condensed larger nanoclusters near the periphery and pericentromeric heterochromatin. Upon examining the spatiotemporal dynamics of heterochromatin in anisotropic nuclei, we observed reduced mobility of the constitutive heterochromatin mark H3K9me3 and the associated heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1α) at the nucleoplasm and periphery regions, correlating with increased viscosity and changes in gene expression. Since heterochromatin remodeling is crucial to genome integrity, our results reveal an unconventional H3K9me3 heterochromatin distribution, providing cues to an altered chromatin state due to perturbations of the nuclei in aligned fiber configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Liu
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana−Champaign, 1102 Everitt Lab, 1406 W. Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Biomedical
Research Center, Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Cancer Center at Illinois,
Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Beckman
Institute, Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Abinash Padhi
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana−Champaign, 1102 Everitt Lab, 1406 W. Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jairaj Narendran
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana−Champaign, 1102 Everitt Lab, 1406 W. Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark A. Anastasio
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana−Champaign, 1102 Everitt Lab, 1406 W. Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Amrinder S. Nain
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Joseph Irudayaraj
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana−Champaign, 1102 Everitt Lab, 1406 W. Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Biomedical
Research Center, Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Cancer Center at Illinois,
Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Beckman
Institute, Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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15
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Li J, Hou W, Yang Y, Deng Q, Fu H, Yin Y, Duan K, Feng B, Guo T, Weng J. Micro/nano-topography promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells by regulating periostin expression. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 218:112700. [PMID: 35907353 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Micro/nano-topography (MNT) is an important factor affecting cell response. Earlier studies using titania (TiO2) nanotube as a model of MNT found that they mediated the differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Surprisingly, Periostin (Postn), a secreted protein involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) construction and promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), was previously observed to significantly up-regulated on TiO2 nanotube. We proposed that Postn may act as a MNT signal transduction role. In this study, we investigated the effect of MNT on Postn, and the influence of Postn on osteogenic differentiation-related genes through focal adhesion and downstream signals. It was found that, titanium (Ti) plates carrying TiO2 nanotubes with diameters of ∼100 nm (TNT-100) significantly up-regulated the expression of Postn compared with flat Ti. Furthermore, Postn activated the downstream focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signal pathway and β-catenin into the nucleus by interacting with integrin αV. Surprisingly, TNT-100 up-regulated the transcription level of Wnt3a, which was independent of the up-regulation of Postn. This new Postn signaling pathway may provide more insights into the signal transduction mechanism of MNT and development of biomaterials with improved osteogenic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsheng Li
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Wenqing Hou
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Yali Yang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Qing Deng
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Hong Fu
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Yiran Yin
- Sichuan Provincial Lab of Orthopaedic Engineering, Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Ke Duan
- Sichuan Provincial Lab of Orthopaedic Engineering, Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Bo Feng
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Tailin Guo
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China.
| | - Jie Weng
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China; College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China.
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16
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Fang X, Ni K, Guo J, Li Y, Zhou Y, Sheng H, Bu B, Luo M, Ouyang M, Deng L. FRET Visualization of Cyclic Stretch-Activated ERK via Calcium Channels Mechanosensation While Not Integrin β1 in Airway Smooth Muscle Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:847852. [PMID: 35663392 PMCID: PMC9162487 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.847852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical stretch is one type of common physiological activities such as during heart beating, lung breathing, blood flow through the vessels, and physical exercise. The mechanical stimulations regulate cellular functions and maintain body homeostasis. It still remains to further characterize the mechanical-biomechanical coupling mechanism. Here we applied fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology to visualize ERK activity in airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells under cyclic stretch stimulation in airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells, and studied the mechanosensing pathway. FRET measurements showed apparent ERK activation by mechanical stretch, which was abolished by ERK inhibitor PD98059 pretreatment. Inhibition of extracellular Ca2+ influx reduced ERK activation, and selective inhibition of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) Ca2+ channel or SERCA Ca2+ pump on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) blocked the activation. Chemical inhibition of the L-type or store-operated Ca2+ channels on plasma membrane, or inhibition of integrin β1 with siRNA had little effect on ERK activation. Disruption of actin cytoskeleton but not microtubule one inhibited the stretch-induced ERK activation. Furthermore, the ER IP3R-dependent ERK activation was not dependent on phospholipase C-IP3 signal, indicating possibly more mechanical mechanism for IP3R activation. It is concluded from our study that the mechanical stretch activated intracellular ERK signal in ASM cells through membrane Ca2+ channels mechanosensation but not integrin β1, which was mediated by actin cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Linhong Deng
- *Correspondence: Mingxing Ouyang, ; Linhong Deng,
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17
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Razin SV, Ulianov SV. Genome-Directed Cell Nucleus Assembly. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050708. [PMID: 35625436 PMCID: PMC9138775 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Speckles and other nuclear bodies, the nucleolus and perinucleolar zone, transcription/replication factories and the lamina-associated compartment, serve as a structural basis for various genomic functions. In turn, genome activity and specific chromatin 3D organization directly impact the integrity of intranuclear assemblies, initiating/facilitating their formation and dictating their composition. Thus, the large-scale nucleus structure and genome activity mutually influence each other. The cell nucleus is frequently considered a compartment in which the genome is placed to protect it from external forces. Here, we discuss the evidence demonstrating that the cell nucleus should be considered, rather, as structure built around the folded genome. Decondensing chromosomes provide a scaffold for the assembly of the nuclear envelope after mitosis, whereas genome activity directs the assembly of various nuclear compartments, including nucleolus, speckles and transcription factories. Abstract The cell nucleus is frequently considered a cage in which the genome is placed to protect it from various external factors. Inside the nucleus, many functional compartments have been identified that are directly or indirectly involved in implementing genomic DNA’s genetic functions. For many years, it was assumed that these compartments are assembled on a proteinaceous scaffold (nuclear matrix), which provides a structural milieu for nuclear compartmentalization and genome folding while simultaneously offering some rigidity to the cell nucleus. The results of research in recent years have made it possible to consider the cell nucleus from a different angle. From the “box” in which the genome is placed, the nucleus has become a kind of mobile exoskeleton, which is formed around the packaged genome, under the influence of transcription and other processes directly related to the genome activity. In this review, we summarize the main arguments in favor of this point of view by analyzing the mechanisms that mediate cell nucleus assembly and support its resistance to mechanical stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V. Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: or
| | - Sergey V. Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
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18
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Distinctive Roles of Wnt Signaling in Chondrogenic Differentiation of BMSCs under Coupling of Pressure and Platelet-Rich Fibrin. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2022; 19:823-837. [PMID: 35467329 PMCID: PMC9294129 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-022-00456-2] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although newly formed constructs of feasible pressure-preadjusted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) showed biomechanical flexibility and superior capacity for cartilage regeneration, it is still not very clear how BMSCs and seed cells feel mechanical stimuli and convert them into biological signals, and the difference in signal transduction underlying mechanical and chemical cues is also unclear. METHODS To determine whether mechanical stimulation (hydrostatic pressure) and chemical cues (platelet-rich fibrin, PRF) activate canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs, BMSCs cocultured with PRF were subjected to hydrostatic pressure loading, and the activation of the Wnt signaling molecules and expression of cartilage-associated proteins and genes were determined by western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Inhibitors of canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling, XVX-939 or L690,330, were adopted to investigate the role of Wnt signaling molecules in mechanically promoted chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. RESULTS Hydrostatic pressure of 120 kPa activated both Wnt/β-catenin signaling and Wnt/Ca2+ signaling, with the the maximum promotion effect at 60 min. PRF exerted no synergistic effect on Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. However, the growth factors released by PRF might reverse the promotion effects of pressure on Wnt/Ca2+ signaling. Real-time PCR and Western blotting results showed that pressure could activate the expression of Col-II, Sox9, and aggrecan in BMSCs cocultured with PRF. Blocking experiment found a positive role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and a negative role of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling in chondrogenic differentiation of the BMSCs. Mutual inhibition exists between canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs under pressure. CONCLUSION Wnt signaling participates in the pressure-promoted chondrogenesis of the BMSCs co-cultured with PRF, with canonical and noncanonical pathways playing distinct roles during the process.
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19
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Hobson CM, Falvo MR, Superfine R. A survey of physical methods for studying nuclear mechanics and mechanobiology. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:041508. [PMID: 34849443 PMCID: PMC8604565 DOI: 10.1063/5.0068126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is increasingly appreciated that the cell nucleus is not only a home for DNA but also a complex material that resists physical deformations and dynamically responds to external mechanical cues. The molecules that confer mechanical properties to nuclei certainly contribute to laminopathies and possibly contribute to cellular mechanotransduction and physical processes in cancer such as metastasis. Studying nuclear mechanics and the downstream biochemical consequences or their modulation requires a suite of complex assays for applying, measuring, and visualizing mechanical forces across diverse length, time, and force scales. Here, we review the current methods in nuclear mechanics and mechanobiology, placing specific emphasis on each of their unique advantages and limitations. Furthermore, we explore important considerations in selecting a new methodology as are demonstrated by recent examples from the literature. We conclude by providing an outlook on the development of new methods and the judicious use of the current techniques for continued exploration into the role of nuclear mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael R. Falvo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Richard Superfine
- Department of Applied Physical Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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20
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Matsushita K, Nakahara C, Kimura S, Sakamoto N, Ii S, Miyoshi H. Intranuclear mesoscale viscoelastic changes during osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. FASEB J 2021; 35:e22071. [PMID: 34820910 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100536rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell nuclei behave as viscoelastic materials. Dynamic regulation of the viscoelastic properties of nuclei in living cells is crucial for diverse biological and biophysical processes, specifically for intranuclear mesoscale viscoelasticity, through modulation of the efficiency of force propagation to the nucleoplasm and gene expression patterns. However, how the intranuclear mesoscale viscoelasticity of stem cells changes with differentiation is unclear and so is its biological significance. Here, we quantified the changes in intranuclear mesoscale viscoelasticity during osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. This analysis revealed that the intranuclear region is a viscoelastic solid, probably with a higher efficiency of force transmission that results in high sensitivity to mechanical signals in the early stages of osteoblastic differentiation. The intranuclear region was noted to alter to a viscoelastic liquid with a lower efficiency, which is responsible for the robustness of gene expression toward terminal differentiation. Additionally, evaluation of changes in the mesoscale viscoelasticity due to chromatin decondensation and correlation between the mesoscale viscoelasticity and local DNA density suggested that size of gap and flexibility of chromatin meshwork structures, which are modulated depending on chromatin condensation state, determine mesoscale viscoelasticity, with various rates of contribution in different differentiation stages. Given that chromatin within the nucleus condenses into heterochromatin as stem cells adopt a specific lineage by restricting transcription, viscoelasticity is perhaps a key factor in cooperative regulation of the nuclear mechanosensitivity and gene expression pattern for stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kojiro Matsushita
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Chiharu Nakahara
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Shun Kimura
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ii
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Hiromi Miyoshi
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Systems Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
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21
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Zeng Q, Gao Y, Yu H, Zhu W, Wang Q, Long Q, Fan Z, Xiao B. Stick, stretch, and scan imaging method for DNA and filaments. RSC Adv 2021; 11:36060-36065. [PMID: 35492749 PMCID: PMC9043539 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra07067c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecules and organelles usually undergo changes to their structure or form as a result of mechanical stretching or stimulation. It is critical to be able to observe these changes and responses, which trigger mechano-chemical coupling or signal transduction. Advanced techniques have been developed to observe structure and form during manipulation; however, these require sophisticated methods. We have developed a simple approach to observe fine structure after stretching without fluorophore labeling. DNAs or molecules on the cell surface were bound to magnetic microbeads, followed by stretching with a magnetic field. After fixing, staining, and drying, the samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy with no need to build a functional surface with complex processes. Straight DNAs were observed rather than random-walk-like loose polymers. In our cellular experiment, the magnetic beads were bound to a Jurkat cell and formed a rosette which was later stuck to the substrate. A 41.3 μm filament on the base of a filopodium was pulled out via integrin from a cell. Therefore, our method can reveal long structures up to hundreds of micrometers at nanometer resolution after stretching or twisting. Our approach could have wide applications in structure–function studies of biomolecules, and in mechanobiology and cell biology when diffraction cannot used. Magnetic force was applied to stretch single DNAs and cells which were stuck to magnetic beads and substrates via simple conjugation methods. Scanning electron microscopy images show that the filopodia of cells were pulled to extraordinary length.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuling Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Yuanyuan Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Hong Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Qi Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Guangzhou Guangdong 510405 China.,Institute of Science and Technology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Guangzhou Guangdong 510006 China
| | - Quan Long
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Zhuo Fan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Botao Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China
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22
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Liu S, Matsui TS, Kang N, Deguchi S. Analysis of senescence-responsive stress fiber proteome reveals reorganization of stress fibers mediated by elongation factor eEF2 in HFF-1 cells. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 33:ar10. [PMID: 34705524 PMCID: PMC8886821 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-05-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress fibers (SFs), which are actomyosin structures, reorganize in response to various cues to maintain cellular homeostasis. Currently, the protein components of SFs are only partially identified, limiting our understanding of their responses. Here we isolate SFs from human fibroblasts HFF-1 to determine with proteomic analysis the whole protein components and how they change with replicative senescence (RS), a state where cells decline in the ability to replicate after repeated divisions. We found that at least 135 proteins are associated with SFs, and 63 of them are up-regulated with RS, by which SFs become larger in size. Among them, we focused on eEF2 (eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2) as it exhibited on RS the most significant increase in abundance. We show that eEF2 is critical to the reorganization and stabilization of SFs in senescent fibroblasts. Our findings provide a novel molecular basis for SFs to be reinforced to resist cellular senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyou Liu
- Division of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Tsubasa S Matsui
- Division of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Na Kang
- Division of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Shinji Deguchi
- Division of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan
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23
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Amar K, Wei F, Chen J, Wang N. Effects of forces on chromatin. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:041503. [PMID: 34661040 PMCID: PMC8516479 DOI: 10.1063/5.0065302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin is a unique structure of DNA and histone proteins in the cell nucleus and the site of dynamic regulation of gene expression. Soluble factors are known to affect the chromatin structure and function via activating or inhibiting specific transcription factors. Forces on chromatin come from exogenous stresses on the cell surface and/or endogenous stresses, which are regulated by substrate mechanics, geometry, and topology. Forces on chromatin involve direct (via adhesion molecules, cytoskeleton, and the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton complexes) and indirect (via diffusion and/or translocation processes) signaling pathways to modulate levels of chromatin folding and deformation to regulate transcription, which is controlled by histone modifications and depends on magnitude, direction, rate/frequency, duration, and modes of stresses. The rapid force transmission pathway activates multiple genes simultaneously, and the force may act like a "supertranscription factor." The indirect mechanotransduction pathways and the rapid force transmission pathway together exert sustained impacts on the chromatin, the nucleus, and cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshitij Amar
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Fuxiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Junwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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24
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Lityagina O, Dobreva G. The LINC Between Mechanical Forces and Chromatin. Front Physiol 2021; 12:710809. [PMID: 34408666 PMCID: PMC8365421 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.710809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart continually senses and responds to mechanical stimuli that balance cardiac structure and activity. Tensile forces, compressive forces, and shear stress are sensed by the different cardiac cell types and converted into signals instructing proper heart morphogenesis, postnatal growth, and function. Defects in mechanotransduction, the ability of cells to convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals, are implicated in cardiovascular disease development and progression. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on how mechanical forces are transduced to chromatin through the tensed actomyosin cytoskeleton, the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex and the nuclear lamina. We also discuss the functional significance of the LINC complex in cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Lityagina
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Gergana Dobreva
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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25
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The role of physical cues in the development of stem cell-derived organoids. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2021; 51:105-117. [PMID: 34120215 PMCID: PMC8964551 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-021-01551-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are a novel three-dimensional stem cells’ culture system that allows the in vitro recapitulation of organs/tissues structure complexity. Pluripotent and adult stem cells are included in a peculiar microenvironment consisting of a supporting structure (an extracellular matrix (ECM)-like component) and a cocktail of soluble bioactive molecules that, together, mimic the stem cell niche organization. It is noteworthy that the balance of all microenvironmental components is the most critical step for obtaining the successful development of an accurate organoid instead of an organoid with heterogeneous morphology, size, and cellular composition. Within this system, mechanical forces exerted on stem cells are collected by cellular proteins and transduced via mechanosensing—mechanotransduction mechanisms in biochemical signaling that dictate the stem cell specification process toward the formation of organoids. This review discusses the role of the environment in organoids formation and focuses on the effect of physical components on the developmental system. The work starts with a biological description of organoids and continues with the relevance of physical forces in the organoid environment formation. In this context, the methods used to generate organoids and some relevant published reports are discussed as examples showing the key role of mechanosensing–mechanotransduction mechanisms in stem cell-derived organoids.
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26
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Li Y, Tang W, Guo M. The Cell as Matter: Connecting Molecular Biology to Cellular Functions. MATTER 2021; 4:1863-1891. [PMID: 35495565 PMCID: PMC9053450 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Viewing cell as matter to understand the intracellular biomolecular processes and multicellular tissue behavior represents an emerging research area at the interface of physics and biology. Cellular material displays various physical and mechanical properties, which can strongly affect both intracellular and multicellular biological events. This review provides a summary of how cells, as matter, connect molecular biology to cellular and multicellular scale functions. As an impact in molecular biology, we review recent progresses in utilizing cellular material properties to direct cell fate decisions in the communities of immune cells, neurons, stem cells, and cancer cells. Finally, we provide an outlook on how to integrate cellular material properties in developing biophysical methods for engineered living systems, regenerative medicine, and disease treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wenhui Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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27
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Chowdhury F, Huang B, Wang N. Cytoskeletal prestress: The cellular hallmark in mechanobiology and mechanomedicine. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2021; 78:249-276. [PMID: 33754478 PMCID: PMC8518377 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence demonstrates that mechanical forces, in addition to soluble molecules, impact cell and tissue functions in physiology and diseases. How living cells integrate mechanical signals to perform appropriate biological functions is an area of intense investigation. Here, we review the evidence of the central role of cytoskeletal prestress in mechanotransduction and mechanobiology. Elevating cytoskeletal prestress increases cell stiffness and reinforces cell stiffening, facilitates long-range cytoplasmic mechanotransduction via integrins, enables direct chromatin stretching and rapid gene expression, spurs embryonic development and stem cell differentiation, and boosts immune cell activation and killing of tumor cells whereas lowering cytoskeletal prestress maintains embryonic stem cell pluripotency, promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis of stem cell-like malignant tumor-repopulating cells, and elevates drug delivery efficiency of soft-tumor-cell-derived microparticles. The overwhelming evidence suggests that the cytoskeletal prestress is the governing principle and the cellular hallmark in mechanobiology. The application of mechanobiology to medicine (mechanomedicine) is rapidly emerging and may help advance human health and improve diagnostics, treatment, and therapeutics of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Chowdhury
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy ProcessesSouthern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondaleIllinoisUSA
| | - Bo Huang
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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28
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Ren K, Gao J, Han D. AFM Force Relaxation Curve Reveals That the Decrease of Membrane Tension Is the Essential Reason for the Softening of Cancer Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:663021. [PMID: 34055793 PMCID: PMC8152666 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.663021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in stiffness constitute an extremely important aspect of the mechanical differences between cancer cells and normal cells, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the most commonly used tool to characterize the difference in stiffness. However, the process of mechanical characterization using AFM has been controversial and the influence of the membrane tension on AFM measurement results was often ignored. Here, a physical model involving a simultaneous consideration of the effects of the cell membrane, cytoskeleton network and cytosol was proposed. We carried out a theoretical analysis of AFM force relaxation curves, and as a result solved many of the remaining controversial issues regarding AFM-based mechanical characterization of cells, and provided a quantitative solution for the membrane tension measured using AFM indentation experiments for the first time. From the results of experiments on cells with different adherent shapes and different pairs of normal cells and cancer cells, we found additional force provided by membrane tension to be the main component of the force applied to the AFM probe, with decreased cell membrane tension being the essential reason for the greater softness of cancer cells than of normal cells. Hence, regulating membrane tension may become an important method for regulating the behavior of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keli Ren
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China.,National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingwei Gao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China.,National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Han
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China.,National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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29
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Involvement of LIMK2 in actin cytoskeleton remodeling during the definitive endoderm differentiation. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2021; 57:493-500. [PMID: 33977398 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-021-00582-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
LIM kinases are involved in various cellular events such as migration, cycle, and differentiation, but whether they have a role in the specification of mammalian early endoderm remains unclear. In the present study, we found that depletion of LIMK2 severely inhibited the generation of definitive endoderm (DE) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and promoted an early neuroectodermal fate. Upon the silencing of LIMK2 during the endodermal differentiation, the assembly of actin stress fibers was disturbed, and the phosphorylation of cofilin was decreased. In addition, knockdown of LIMK2 during DE differentiation also interfered the upregulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes and cell migration. Collectively, the results highlight that the serine/threonine kinase LIMK2, acting as a key regulator in actin remodeling, plays a critical role in endodermal lineage determination.
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30
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Lee H, Bonin K, Guthold M. Human mammary epithelial cells in a mature, stratified epithelial layer flatten and stiffen compared to single and confluent cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129891. [PMID: 33689830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The epithelium forms a protective barrier against external biological, chemical and physical insults. So far, AFM-based, micro-mechanical measurements have only been performed on single cells and confluent cells, but not yet on cells in mature layers. METHODS Using a combination of atomic force, fluorescence and confocal microscopy, we determined the changes in stiffness, morphology and actin distribution of human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) as they transition from single cells to confluency to a mature layer. RESULTS Single HMECs have a tall, round (planoconvex) morphology, have actin stress fibers at the base, have diffuse cortical actin, and have a stiffness of 1 kPa. Confluent HMECs start to become flatter, basal actin stress fibers start to disappear, and actin accumulates laterally where cells abut. Overall stiffness is still 1 kPa with two-fold higher stiffness in the abutting regions. As HMECs mature and form multilayered structures, cells on apical surfaces become flatter (apically more level), wider, and seven times stiffer (mean, 7 kPa) than single and confluent cells. The main drivers of these changes are actin filaments, as cells show strong actin accumulation in the regions where cells adjoin, and in the apical regions. CONCLUSIONS HMECs stiffen, flatten and redistribute actin upon transiting from single cells to mature, confluent layers. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our findings advance the understanding of breast ductal morphogenesis and mechanical homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunsu Lee
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Keith Bonin
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Martin Guthold
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA.
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