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Jin Q, Pandey D, Thompson CB, Lewis S, Sung HW, Nguyen TD, Kuo S, Wilson KL, Gracias DH, Romer LH. Acute downregulation of emerin alters actomyosin cytoskeleton connectivity and function. Biophys J 2023; 122:3690-3703. [PMID: 37254483 PMCID: PMC10541481 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.05.027] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal lung fibroblasts contribute dynamic infrastructure for the developing lung. These cells undergo dynamic mechanical transitions, including cyclic stretch and spreading, which are integral to lung growth in utero. We investigated the role of the nuclear envelope protein emerin in cellular responses to these dynamic mechanical transitions. In contrast to control cells, which briskly realigned their nuclei, actin cytoskeleton, and extracellular matrices in response to cyclic stretch, fibroblasts that were acutely downregulated for emerin showed incomplete reorientation of both nuclei and actin cytoskeleton. Emerin-downregulated fibroblasts were also aberrantly circular in contrast to the spindle-shaped controls and exhibited an altered pattern of filamentous actin organization that was disconnected from the nucleus. Emerin knockdown was also associated with reduced myosin light chain phosphorylation during cell spreading. Interestingly, emerin-downregulated fibroblasts also demonstrated reduced fibronectin fibrillogenesis and production. These findings indicate that nuclear-cytoskeletal coupling serves a role in the dynamic regulation of cytoskeletal structure and function and may also impact the transmission of traction force to the extracellular matrix microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianru Jin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Deepesh Pandey
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Carol B Thompson
- Biostatistics Center, Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Shawna Lewis
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hyun Woo Sung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Thao D Nguyen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Scot Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Microscope Facility, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Katherine L Wilson
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - David H Gracias
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Center for MicroPhysiological Systems, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lewis H Romer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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2
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Koudouna E, Young RD, Quantock AJ, Ralphs JR. Developmental Changes in Patterns of Distribution of Fibronectin and Tenascin-C in the Chicken Cornea: Evidence for Distinct and Independent Functions during Corneal Development and Morphogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043555. [PMID: 36834965 PMCID: PMC9964472 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The cornea forms the tough and transparent anterior part of the eye and by accurate shaping forms the major refractive element for vision. Its largest component is the stroma, a dense collagenous connective tissue positioned between the epithelium and the endothelium. In chicken embryos, the stroma initially develops as the primary stroma secreted by the epithelium, which is then invaded by migratory neural crest cells. These cells secrete an organised multi-lamellar collagenous extracellular matrix (ECM), becoming keratocytes. Within individual lamellae, collagen fibrils are parallel and orientated approximately orthogonally in adjacent lamellae. In addition to collagens and associated small proteoglycans, the ECM contains the multifunctional adhesive glycoproteins fibronectin and tenascin-C. We show in embryonic chicken corneas that fibronectin is present but is essentially unstructured in the primary stroma before cell migration and develops as strands linking migrating cells as they enter, maintaining their relative positions as they populate the stroma. Fibronectin also becomes prominent in the epithelial basement membrane, from which fibronectin strings penetrate into the stromal lamellar ECM at right angles. These are present throughout embryonic development but are absent in adults. Stromal cells associate with the strings. Since the epithelial basement membrane is the anterior stromal boundary, strings may be used by stromal cells to determine their relative anterior-posterior positions. Tenascin-C is organised differently, initially as an amorphous layer above the endothelium and subsequently extending anteriorly and organising into a 3D mesh when the stromal cells arrive, enclosing them. It continues to shift anteriorly in development, disappearing posteriorly, and finally becoming prominent in Bowman's layer beneath the epithelium. The similarity of tenascin-C and collagen organisation suggests that it may link cells to collagen, allowing cells to control and organise the developing ECM architecture. Fibronectin and tenascin-C have complementary roles in cell migration, with the former being adhesive and the latter being antiadhesive and able to displace cells from their adhesion to fibronectin. Thus, in addition to the potential for associations between cells and the ECM, the two could be involved in controlling migration and adhesion and subsequent keratocyte differentiation. Despite the similarities in structure and binding capabilities of the two glycoproteins and the fact that they occupy similar regions of the developing stroma, there is little colocalisation, demonstrating their distinctive roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Koudouna
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Robert D. Young
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Andrew J. Quantock
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - James R. Ralphs
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
- Correspondence:
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3
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Goult BT, von Essen M, Hytönen VP. The mechanical cell - the role of force dependencies in synchronising protein interaction networks. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:283155. [PMID: 36398718 PMCID: PMC9845749 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of mechanical signals in the proper functioning of organisms is increasingly recognised, and every cell senses physical forces and responds to them. These forces are generated both from outside the cell or via the sophisticated force-generation machinery of the cell, the cytoskeleton. All regions of the cell are connected via mechanical linkages, enabling the whole cell to function as a mechanical system. In this Review, we define some of the key concepts of how this machinery functions, highlighting the critical requirement for mechanosensory proteins, and conceptualise the coupling of mechanical linkages to mechanochemical switches that enables forces to be converted into biological signals. These mechanical couplings provide a mechanism for how mechanical crosstalk might coordinate the entire cell, its neighbours, extending into whole collections of cells, in tissues and in organs, and ultimately in the coordination and operation of entire organisms. Consequently, many diseases manifest through defects in this machinery, which we map onto schematics of the mechanical linkages within a cell. This mapping approach paves the way for the identification of additional linkages between mechanosignalling pathways and so might identify treatments for diseases, where mechanical connections are affected by mutations or where individual force-regulated components are defective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Goult
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, Kent, UK,Authors for correspondence (; )
| | - Magdaléna von Essen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33100 Tampere, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33100 Tampere, Finland,Fimlab Laboratories, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland,Authors for correspondence (; )
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4
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Embigin is a fibronectin receptor that affects sebaceous gland differentiation and metabolism. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1453-1465.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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5
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Lee KY, Nguyen HT, Setiawati A, Nam S, Kim M, Ko I, Jung WH, Parker KK, Kim C, Shin K. An Extracellular Matrix-Liposome Composite, a Novel Extracellular Matrix Delivery System for Accelerated Tissue Regeneration. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2101599. [PMID: 34800312 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101599] [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: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The unfolded states of fibronectin (FN) subsequently induce the formation of an extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrillar network, which is necessary to generate new substitutive tissues. Here, the authors demonstrate that negatively charged small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) qualify as candidates for FN delivery due to their remarkable effects on the autonomous binding and unfolding of FN, which leads to increased tissue regeneration. In vitro experiments revealed that the FN-SUV complex remarkably increased the attachment, differentiation, and migration of fibroblasts. The potential utilization of this complex in vivo to treat inflammatory colon diseases is also described based on results obtained for ameliorated conditions in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC) that had been treated with the FN-SUV complex. Their findings provide a new ECM-delivery platform for ECM-based therapeutic applications and suggest that properly designed SUVs may be an unprecedented FN-delivery system that is highly effective in treating UC and inflammatory bowel diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keel Yong Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
- Disease Biophysics Group John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge 02138 USA
| | - Huong Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
| | - Agustina Setiawati
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
- Department of Life Science Sogang University Seoul 02447 Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Pharmacy Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta 55284 Indonesia
| | - So‐Jung Nam
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
| | - Minyoung Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
| | - Il‐Gyu Ko
- Department of Physiology College of Medicine Kyung Hee University Seoul 02447 Republic of Korea
| | - Won Hee Jung
- Department of Systems Biotechnology Chung‐Ang University Anseong 17546 Republic of Korea
| | - Kevin K. Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge 02138 USA
| | - Chang‐Ju Kim
- Department of Physiology College of Medicine Kyung Hee University Seoul 02447 Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces Sogang University Seoul 04107 Republic of Korea
- Disease Biophysics Group John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge 02138 USA
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6
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Mäntylä E, Ihalainen TO. Brick Strex: a robust device built of LEGO bricks for mechanical manipulation of cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18520. [PMID: 34531455 PMCID: PMC8445989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97900-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular forces, mechanics and other physical factors are important co-regulators of normal cell and tissue physiology. These cues are often misregulated in diseases such as cancer, where altered tissue mechanics contribute to the disease progression. Furthermore, intercellular tensile and compressive force-related signaling is highlighted in collective cell behavior during development. However, the mechanistic understanding on the role of physical forces in regulation of cellular physiology, including gene expression and signaling, is still lacking. This is partly because studies on the molecular mechanisms of force transmission require easily controllable experimental designs. These approaches should enable both easy mechanical manipulation of cells and, importantly, readouts ranging from microscopy imaging to biochemical assays. To achieve a robust solution for mechanical manipulation of cells, we developed devices built of LEGO bricks allowing manual, motorized and/or cyclic cell stretching and compression studies. By using these devices, we show that [Formula: see text]-catenin responds differentially to epithelial monolayer stretching and lateral compression, either localizing more to the cell nuclei or cell-cell junctions, respectively. In addition, we show that epithelial compression drives cytoplasmic retention and phosphorylation of transcription coregulator YAP1. We provide a complete part listing and video assembly instructions, allowing other researchers to build and use the devices in cellular mechanics-related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Mäntylä
- grid.502801.e0000 0001 2314 6254BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Teemu O. Ihalainen
- grid.502801.e0000 0001 2314 6254BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
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7
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Fibronectin: Molecular Structure, Fibrillar Structure and Mechanochemical Signaling. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092443. [PMID: 34572092 PMCID: PMC8471655 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role as both structural scaffold and regulator of cell signal transduction in tissues. In times of ECM assembly and turnover, cells upregulate assembly of the ECM protein, fibronectin (FN). FN is assembled by cells into viscoelastic fibrils that can bind upward of 40 distinct growth factors and cytokines. These fibrils play a key role in assembling a provisional ECM during embryonic development and wound healing. Fibril assembly is also often upregulated during disease states, including cancer and fibrotic diseases. FN fibrils have unique mechanical properties, which allow them to alter mechanotransduction signals sensed and relayed by cells. Binding of soluble growth factors to FN fibrils alters signal transduction from these proteins, while binding of other ECM proteins, including collagens, elastins, and proteoglycans, to FN fibrils facilitates the maturation and tissue specificity of the ECM. In this review, we will discuss the assembly of FN fibrils from individual FN molecules; the composition, structure, and mechanics of FN fibrils; the interaction of FN fibrils with other ECM proteins and growth factors; the role of FN in transmitting mechanobiology signaling events; and approaches for studying the mechanics of FN fibrils.
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8
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Weinberg SH, Saini N, Lemmon CA. Effects of substrate stiffness and actin velocity on in silico fibronectin fibril morphometry and mechanics. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248256. [PMID: 34106923 PMCID: PMC8189481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (FN) into insoluble, viscoelastic fibrils is a critical step during embryonic development and wound healing; misregulation of FN fibril assembly has been implicated in many diseases, including fibrotic diseases and cancer. We have previously developed a computational model of FN fibril assembly that recapitulates the morphometry and mechanics of cell-derived FN fibrils. Here we use this model to probe two important questions: how is FN fibril formation affected by the contractile phenotype of the cell, and how is FN fibril formation affected by the stiffness of the surrounding tissue? We show that FN fibril formation depends strongly on the contractile phenotype of the cell, but only weakly on in vitro substrate stiffness, which is an analog for in vivo tissue stiffness. These results are consistent with previous experimental data and provide a better insight into conditions that promote FN fibril assembly. We have also investigated two distinct phenotypes of FN fibrils that we have previously identified; we show that the ratio of the two phenotypes depends on both substrate stiffness and contractile phenotype, with intermediate contractility and high substrate stiffness creating an optimal condition for stably stretched fibrils. Finally, we have investigated how re-stretch of a fibril affects cellular response. We probed how the contractile phenotype of the re-stretching cell affects the mechanics of the fibril; results indicate that the number of myosin motors only weakly affects the cellular response, but increasing actin velocity results in a decrease in the apparent stiffness of the fibril and a decrease in the stably-applied force to the fibril. Taken together, these results give novel insights into the combinatorial effects of substrate stiffness and cell contractility on FN fibril assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth H. Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CAL); (SHW)
| | - Navpreet Saini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CAL); (SHW)
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9
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Assunção M, Yiu CHK, Wan HY, Wang D, Ker DFE, Tuan RS, Blocki A. Hyaluronic acid drives mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular matrix assembly by promoting fibronectin fibrillogenesis. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:7205-7215. [PMID: 33710248 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb00268f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA)-based biomaterials have been demonstrated to promote wound healing and tissue regeneration, owing to the intrinsic and important role of HA in these processes. A deeper understanding of the biological functions of HA would enable better informed decisions on applications involving HA-based biomaterial design. HA and fibronectin are both major components of the provisional extracellular matrix (ECM) during wound healing and regeneration. Both biomacromolecules exhibit the same spatiotemporal distribution, with fibronectin possessing direct binding sites for HA. As HA is one of the first components present in the wound healing bed, we hypothesized that HA may be involved in the deposition, and subsequently fibrillogenesis, of fibronectin. This hypothesis was tested by exposing cultures of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which are thought to be involved in the early phase of wound healing, to high molecular weight HA (HMWHA). The results showed that treatment of human bone marrow derived MSCs (bmMSCs) with exogenous HMWHA increased fibronectin fibril formation during early ECM deposition. On the other hand, partial depletion of endogenous HA led to a drastic impairment of fibronectin fibril formation, despite detectable granular presence of fibronectin in the perinuclear region, comparable to observations made under the well-established ROCK inhibition-mediated impairment of fibronectin fibrillogenesis. These findings suggest the functional involvement of HA in effective fibronectin fibrillogenesis. The hypothesis was further supported by the co-alignment of fibronectin, HA and integrin α5 at sites of ongoing fibronectin fibrillogenesis, suggesting that HA might be directly involved in fibrillar adhesions. Given the essential function of fibronectin in ECM assembly and maturation, HA may play a major enabling role in initiating and propagating ECM deposition. Thus, HA, as a readily available biomaterial, presents practical advantages for de novo ECM-rich tissue formation in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Assunção
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi Him Kendrick Yiu
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho-Ying Wan
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China and Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dai Fei Elmer Ker
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China and Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Rocky S Tuan
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anna Blocki
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. and School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China and Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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10
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Tang VW. Collagen, stiffness, and adhesion: the evolutionary basis of vertebrate mechanobiology. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1823-1834. [PMID: 32730166 PMCID: PMC7525820 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-12-0709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of collagen I in vertebrates resulted in a dramatic increase in the stiffness of the extracellular environment, supporting long-range force propagation and the development of low-compliant tissues necessary for the development of vertebrate traits including pressurized circulation and renal filtration. Vertebrates have also evolved integrins that can bind to collagens, resulting in the generation of higher tension and more efficient force transmission in the extracellular matrix. The stiffer environment provides an opportunity for the vertebrates to create new structures such as the stress fibers, new cell types such as endothelial cells, new developmental processes such as neural crest delamination, and new tissue organizations such as the blood-brain barrier. Molecular players found only in vertebrates allow the modification of conserved mechanisms as well as the design of novel strategies that can better serve the physiological needs of the vertebrates. These innovations collectively contribute to novel morphogenetic behaviors and unprecedented increases in the complexities of tissue mechanics and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian W. Tang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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11
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Jordahl S, Solorio L, Neale DB, McDermott S, Jordahl JH, Fox A, Dunlay C, Xiao A, Brown M, Wicha M, Luker GD, Lahann J. Engineered Fibrillar Fibronectin Networks as Three-Dimensional Tissue Scaffolds. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1904580. [PMID: 31565823 PMCID: PMC6851443 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and most prominently, fibronectin (Fn), are routinely used in the form of adsorbed pre-coatings in an attempt to create a cell-supporting environment in both two- and three-dimensional cell culture systems. However, these protein coatings are typically deposited in a form which is structurally and functionally distinct from the ECM-constituting fibrillar protein networks naturally deposited by cells. Here, the cell-free and scalable synthesis of freely suspended and mechanically robust three-dimensional (3D) networks of fibrillar fibronectin (fFn) supported by tessellated polymer scaffolds is reported. Hydrodynamically induced Fn fibrillogenesis at the three-phase contact line between air, an Fn solution, and a tessellated scaffold microstructure yields extended protein networks. Importantly, engineered fFn networks promote cell invasion and proliferation, enable in vitro expansion of primary cancer cells, and induce an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer cells. Engineered fFn networks support the formation of multicellular cancer structures cells from plural effusions of cancer patients. With further work, engineered fFn networks can have a transformative impact on fundamental cell studies, precision medicine, pharmaceutical testing, and pre-clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Jordahl
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Luis Solorio
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Dylan B Neale
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sean McDermott
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jacob H Jordahl
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Alexandra Fox
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Christopher Dunlay
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Annie Xiao
- Department of Radiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Martha Brown
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr SPC 5916, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Max Wicha
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Radiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Joerg Lahann
- Biointerfaces Institute, Departments of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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12
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Mezzenga R, Mitsi M. The Molecular Dance of Fibronectin: Conformational Flexibility Leads to Functional Versatility. Biomacromolecules 2018; 20:55-72. [PMID: 30403862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Fibronectin, a large multimodular protein and one of the major fibrillar components of the extracellular matrix, has been the subject of study for many decades and plays critical roles in embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Moreover, fibronectin has been implicated in the pathology of many diseases, including cancer, and abnormal depositions of fibronectin have been identified in a number of amyloid and nonamyloid lesions. The ability of fibronectin to carry all these diverse functionalities depends on interactions with a large number of molecules, including adhesive and signaling cell surface receptors, other components of the extracellular matrix, and growth factors and cytokines. The regulation and integration of such large number of interactions depends on the modular architecture of fibronectin, which allows a large number of conformations, exposing or destroying different binding sites. In this Review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the conformational flexibility of fibronectin, with an emphasis on how it regulates the ability of fibronectin to interact with various signaling molecules and cell-surface receptors and to form supramolecular assemblies and fibrillar structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Mezzenga
- Laboratory of Food and Soft Materials , ETH Zurich , 8092 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Maria Mitsi
- Laboratory of Food and Soft Materials , ETH Zurich , 8092 Zurich , Switzerland
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