1
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Lee W, Eriten M. Poroviscoelastic relaxations and rate-dependent adhesion in gelatin. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:4583-4590. [PMID: 38742525 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00318g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogels, polymeric networks swollen with water, exhibit time/rate-dependent adhesion due to their poroviscoleastic constitution. In this study, we conducted probe-tack experiments on gelatin and investigated the influence of dwelling times and unloading rates on pull-off forces and work of adhesion. We utilized in situ contact imaging to monitor separation kinematics and interfacial crack velocities. We found that the crack velocities scaled nonlinearly with the unloading rate, in a power law with an exponent of 0.8 and were independent of dwelling time. At maximum unloading rates corresponding to subsonic interfacial crack speeds, we observed an order of magnitude enhancement in the apparent work of adhesion. The enhancement of adhesion and the crack velocities were related by a power law with an exponent of 0.39. The maximum vertical extension during unloading, a measure of crack opening, exhibited linear correlation with the enhancement of adhesion. Both correlations were in line with the rate-dependent work of fracture modeled for viscoelastic solids (e.g., Persson and Brener model). We explored the links between dwelling times corresponding to varying degrees of poroelastic diffusion and the adhesion. We found 40% additional enhancement in adhesion at the highest unloading rate. This enhancement is due to the unbalanced osmotic pressure, also known as the suction effect. The influence of dwelling times on adhesion was negligible for the interfacial cracks propagating slower than the diffusive time scales. These results identify viscoelastic relaxations as the dominant mechanism governing the rate-dependent enhancement of adhesion, and hence pave the way for tuning rate-dependent adhesion in soft multiphasic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonhyeok Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Melih Eriten
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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2
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Flaum E, Prakash M. Curved crease origami and topological singularities enable hyperextensibility of L. olor. Science 2024; 384:eadk5511. [PMID: 38843314 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk5511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Fundamental limits of cellular deformations, such as hyperextension of a living cell, remain poorly understood. Here, we describe how the single-celled protist Lacrymaria olor, a 40-micrometer cell, is capable of reversibly and repeatably extending its necklike protrusion up to 1200 micrometers in 30 seconds. We discovered a layered cortical cytoskeleton and membrane architecture that enables hyperextensions through the folding and unfolding of cellular-scale origami. Physical models of this curved crease origami display topological singularities, including traveling developable cones and cytoskeletal twisted domain walls, which provide geometric control of hyperextension. Our work unravels how cell geometry encodes behavior in single cells and provides inspiration for geometric control in microrobotics and deployable architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliott Flaum
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biology (courtesy), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Oceans (courtesy), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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3
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Tajvidi Safa B, Huang C, Kabla A, Yang R. Active viscoelastic models for cell and tissue mechanics. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231074. [PMID: 38660600 PMCID: PMC11040246 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Living cells are out of equilibrium active materials. Cell-generated forces are transmitted across the cytoskeleton network and to the extracellular environment. These active force interactions shape cellular mechanical behaviour, trigger mechano-sensing, regulate cell adaptation to the microenvironment and can affect disease outcomes. In recent years, the mechanobiology community has witnessed the emergence of many experimental and theoretical approaches to study cells as mechanically active materials. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in incorporating active characteristics of cellular behaviour at different length scales into classic viscoelastic models by either adding an active tension-generating element or adjusting the resting length of an elastic element in the model. Summarizing the two groups of approaches, we will review the formulation and application of these models to understand cellular adaptation mechanisms in response to various types of mechanical stimuli, such as the effect of extracellular matrix properties and external loadings or deformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Tajvidi Safa
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE68588, USA
| | - Changjin Huang
- School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore639798, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Kabla
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE68588, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
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4
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Keshavanarayana P, Spill F. A mechanical modeling framework to study endothelial permeability. Biophys J 2024; 123:334-348. [PMID: 38169215 PMCID: PMC10870174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, is made up of endothelial cells. Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin protein forms a bond with VE-cadherin from neighboring cells to determine the size of gaps between the cells and thereby regulate the size of particles that can cross the endothelium. Chemical cues such as thrombin, along with mechanical properties of the cell and extracellular matrix are known to affect the permeability of endothelial cells. Abnormal permeability is found in patients suffering from diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and COVID-19. Even though some of the regulatory mechanisms affecting endothelial permeability are well studied, details of how several mechanical and chemical stimuli acting simultaneously affect endothelial permeability are not yet understood. In this article, we present a continuum-level mechanical modeling framework to study the highly dynamic nature of the VE-cadherin bonds. Taking inspiration from the catch-slip behavior that VE-cadherin complexes are known to exhibit, we model the VE-cadherin homophilic bond as cohesive contact with damage following a traction-separation law. We explicitly model the actin cytoskeleton and substrate to study their role in permeability. Our studies show that mechanochemical coupling is necessary to simulate the influence of the mechanical properties of the substrate on permeability. Simulations show that shear between cells is responsible for the variation in permeability between bicellular and tricellular junctions, explaining the phenotypic differences observed in experiments. An increase in the magnitude of traction force due to disturbed flow that endothelial cells experience results in increased permeability, and it is found that the effect is higher on stiffer extracellular matrix. Finally, we show that the cylindrical monolayer exhibits higher permeability than the planar monolayer under unconstrained cases. Thus, we present a contact mechanics-based mechanochemical model to investigate the variation in the permeability of endothelial monolayer due to multiple loads acting simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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5
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Mierke CT. Extracellular Matrix Cues Regulate Mechanosensing and Mechanotransduction of Cancer Cells. Cells 2024; 13:96. [PMID: 38201302 PMCID: PMC10777970 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010096] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Extracellular biophysical properties have particular implications for a wide spectrum of cellular behaviors and functions, including growth, motility, differentiation, apoptosis, gene expression, cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion, and signal transduction including mechanotransduction. Cells not only react to unambiguously mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM), but can occasionally manipulate the mechanical features of the matrix in parallel with biological characteristics, thus interfering with downstream matrix-based cues in both physiological and pathological processes. Bidirectional interactions between cells and (bio)materials in vitro can alter cell phenotype and mechanotransduction, as well as ECM structure, intentionally or unintentionally. Interactions between cell and matrix mechanics in vivo are of particular importance in a variety of diseases, including primarily cancer. Stiffness values between normal and cancerous tissue can range between 500 Pa (soft) and 48 kPa (stiff), respectively. Even the shear flow can increase from 0.1-1 dyn/cm2 (normal tissue) to 1-10 dyn/cm2 (cancerous tissue). There are currently many new areas of activity in tumor research on various biological length scales, which are highlighted in this review. Moreover, the complexity of interactions between ECM and cancer cells is reduced to common features of different tumors and the characteristics are highlighted to identify the main pathways of interaction. This all contributes to the standardization of mechanotransduction models and approaches, which, ultimately, increases the understanding of the complex interaction. Finally, both the in vitro and in vivo effects of this mechanics-biology pairing have key insights and implications for clinical practice in tumor treatment and, consequently, clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- Biological Physics Division, Peter Debye Institute of Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Science, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Gooshvar S, Madhu G, Ruszczyk M, Prakash VN. Non-Bilaterians as Model Systems for Tissue Mechanics. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1442-1454. [PMID: 37355780 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In animals, epithelial tissues are barriers against the external environment, providing protection against biological, chemical, and physical damage. Depending on the organism's physiology and behavior, these tissues encounter different types of mechanical forces and need to provide a suitable adaptive response to ensure success. Therefore, understanding tissue mechanics in different contexts is an important research area. Here, we review recent tissue mechanics discoveries in three early divergent non-bilaterian systems-Trichoplax adhaerens, Hydra vulgaris, and Aurelia aurita. We highlight each animal's simple body plan and biology and unique, rapid tissue remodeling phenomena that play a crucial role in its physiology. We also discuss the emergent large-scale mechanics in these systems that arise from small-scale phenomena. Finally, we emphasize the potential of these non-bilaterian animals to be model systems in a bottom-up approach for further investigation in tissue mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Setareh Gooshvar
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 33146 FL, USA
| | - Gopika Madhu
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 33146 FL, USA
| | - Melissa Ruszczyk
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 33146 FL, USA
| | - Vivek N Prakash
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 33146 FL, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 33146 FL, USA
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, 33149 FL, USA
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7
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Flaum E, Prakash M. Curved crease origami and topological singularities at a cellular scale enable hyper-extensibility of Lacrymaria olor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.551915. [PMID: 37577489 PMCID: PMC10418517 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.551915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells undergo dramatic morphological changes during cell division, phagocytosis and motility. Fundamental limits of cellular morphodynamics such as how fast or how much cellular shapes can change without harm to a living cell remain poorly understood. Here we describe hyper-extensibility in the single-celled protist Lacrymaria olor, a 40 μm cell which is capable of reversible and repeatable extensions (neck-like protrusions) up to 1500 μm in 30 seconds. We discover that a unique and intricate organization of cortical cytoskeleton and membrane enables these hyper-extensions that can be described as the first cellular scale curved crease origami. Furthermore, we show how these topological singularities including d-cones and twisted domain walls provide a geometrical control mechanism for the deployment of membrane and microtubule sheets as they repeatably spool thousands of time from the cell body. We lastly build physical origami models to understand how these topological singularities provide a mechanism for the cell to control the hyper-extensile deployable structure. This new geometrical motif where a cell employs curved crease origami to perform a physiological function has wide ranging implications in understanding cellular morphodynamics and direct applications in deployable micro-robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliott Flaum
- Graduate Program in Biophysics
- Department of Bioengineering
- Stanford University
| | - Manu Prakash
- Graduate Program in Biophysics
- Department of Bioengineering
- Department of Biology (courtesy)
- Department of Oceans (courtesy)
- Stanford University
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8
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Constantinou I, Bastounis EE. Cell-stretching devices: advances and challenges in biomedical research and live-cell imaging. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:939-950. [PMID: 36604290 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Basic human functions such as breathing and digestion require mechanical stretching of cells and tissues. However, when it comes to laboratory experiments, the mechanical stretching that cells experience in the body is not often replicated, limiting the biomimetic nature of the studies and the relevance of results. Herein, we establish the importance of mechanical stretching during in vitro investigations by reviewing seminal works performed using cell-stretching platforms, highlighting important outcomes of these works as well as the engineering characteristics of the platforms used. Emphasis is placed on the compatibility of cell-stretching devices (CSDs) with live-cell imaging as well as their limitations and on the research advancements that could arise from live-cell imaging performed during cell stretching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iordania Constantinou
- Institute of Microtechnology (IMT), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Alte Salzdahlumer Str. 203, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Str. 35a, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Effie E Bastounis
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" EXC 2124, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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9
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Dow LP, Parmar T, Marchetti MC, Pruitt BL. Engineering tools for quantifying and manipulating forces in epithelia. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021303. [PMID: 38510344 PMCID: PMC10903508 DOI: 10.1063/5.0142537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The integrity of epithelia is maintained within dynamic mechanical environments during tissue development and homeostasis. Understanding how epithelial cells mechanosignal and respond collectively or individually is critical to providing insight into developmental and (patho)physiological processes. Yet, inferring or mimicking mechanical forces and downstream mechanical signaling as they occur in epithelia presents unique challenges. A variety of in vitro approaches have been used to dissect the role of mechanics in regulating epithelia organization. Here, we review approaches and results from research into how epithelial cells communicate through mechanical cues to maintain tissue organization and integrity. We summarize the unique advantages and disadvantages of various reduced-order model systems to guide researchers in choosing appropriate experimental systems. These model systems include 3D, 2D, and 1D micromanipulation methods, single cell studies, and noninvasive force inference and measurement techniques. We also highlight a number of in silico biophysical models that are informed by in vitro and in vivo observations. Together, a combination of theoretical and experimental models will aid future experiment designs and provide predictive insight into mechanically driven behaviors of epithelial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshi Parmar
- Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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10
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Troyanovsky SM. Adherens junction: the ensemble of specialized cadherin clusters. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:374-387. [PMID: 36127186 PMCID: PMC10020127 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The cell-cell connections in adherens junctions (AJs) are mediated by transmembrane receptors, type I cadherins (referred to here as cadherins). These cadherin-based connections (or trans bonds) are weak. To upregulate their strength, cadherins exploit avidity, the increased affinity of binding between cadherin clusters compared with isolated monomers. Formation of such clusters is a unique molecular process that is driven by a synergy of direct and indirect cis interactions between cadherins located at the same cell. In addition to their role in adhesion, cadherin clusters provide structural scaffolds for cytosolic proteins, which implicate cadherin into different cellular activities and signaling pathways. The cluster lifetime, which depends on the actin cytoskeleton, and on the mechanical forces it generates, determines the strength of AJs and their plasticity. The key aspects of cadherin adhesion, therefore, cannot be understood at the level of isolated cadherin molecules, but should be discussed in the context of cadherin clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey M Troyanovsky
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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11
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Kourouklis AP, Wahlsten A, Stracuzzi A, Martyts A, Paganella LG, Labouesse C, Al-Nuaimi D, Giampietro C, Ehret AE, Tibbitt MW, Mazza E. Control of hydrostatic pressure and osmotic stress in 3D cell culture for mechanobiological studies. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 145:213241. [PMID: 36529095 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hydrostatic pressure (HP) and osmotic stress (OS) play an important role in various biological processes, such as cell proliferation and differentiation. In contrast to canonical mechanical signals transmitted through the anchoring points of the cells with the extracellular matrix, the physical and molecular mechanisms that transduce HP and OS into cellular functions remain elusive. Three-dimensional cell cultures show great promise to replicate physiologically relevant signals in well-defined host bioreactors with the goal of shedding light on hidden aspects of the mechanobiology of HP and OS. This review starts by introducing prevalent mechanisms for the generation of HP and OS signals in biological tissues that are subject to pathophysiological mechanical loading. We then revisit various mechanisms in the mechanotransduction of HP and OS, and describe the current state of the art in bioreactors and biomaterials for the control of the corresponding physical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas P Kourouklis
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Adam Wahlsten
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Stracuzzi
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Anastasiya Martyts
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lorenza Garau Paganella
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Celine Labouesse
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dunja Al-Nuaimi
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Costanza Giampietro
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Alexander E Ehret
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mark W Tibbitt
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Edoardo Mazza
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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12
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Minnick G, Tajvidi Safa B, Rosenbohm J, Lavrik NV, Brooks J, Esfahani AM, Samaniego A, Meng F, Richter B, Gao W, Yang R. Two-Photon Polymerized Shape Memory Microfibers: A New Mechanical Characterization Method in Liquid. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2023; 33:2206739. [PMID: 36817407 PMCID: PMC9937026 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202206739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) has been widely used to create 3D micro- and nanoscale scaffolds for biological and mechanobiological studies, which often require the mechanical characterization of the TPP fabricated structures. To satisfy physiological requirements, most of the mechanical characterizations need to be conducted in liquid. However, previous characterizations of TPP fabricated structures were all conducted in air due to the limitation of conventional micro- and nanoscale mechanical testing methods. In this study, we report a new experimental method for testing the mechanical properties of TPP-printed microfibers in liquid. The experiments show that the mechanical behaviors of the microfibers tested in liquid are significantly different from those tested in air. By controlling the TPP writing parameters, the mechanical properties of the microfibers can be tailored over a wide range to meet a variety of mechanobiology applications. In addition, it is found that, in water, the plasticly deformed microfibers can return to their pre-deformed shape after tensile strain is released. The shape recovery time is dependent on the size of microfibers. The experimental method represents a significant advancement in mechanical testing of TPP fabricated structures and may help release the full potential of TPP fabricated 3D tissue scaffold for mechanobiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grayson Minnick
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Bahareh Tajvidi Safa
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Jordan Rosenbohm
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Nickolay V Lavrik
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6054
| | - Justin Brooks
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Amir M Esfahani
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Alberto Samaniego
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Fanben Meng
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Benjamin Richter
- Nanoscribe GmbH & Co. KG, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Wei Gao
- J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
- Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
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13
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Rosenbohm J, Minnick G, Safa BT, Esfahani AM, Jin X, Zhai H, Lavrik NV, Yang R. A multi-material platform for imaging of single cell-cell junctions under tensile load fabricated with two-photon polymerization. Biomed Microdevices 2022; 24:33. [PMID: 36207557 PMCID: PMC11104271 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-022-00633-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported a single-cell adhesion micro tensile tester (SCAμTT) fabricated from IP-S photoresin with two-photon polymerization (TPP) for investigating the mechanics of a single cell-cell junction under defined tensile loading. A major limitation of the platform is the autofluorescence of IP-S, the photoresin for TPP fabrication, which significantly increases background signal and makes fluorescent imaging of stretched cells difficult. In this study, we report the design and fabrication of a new SCAμTT platform that mitigates autofluorescence and demonstrate its capability in imaging a single cell pair as its mutual junction is stretched. By employing a two-material design using IP-S and IP-Visio, a photoresin with reduced autofluorescence, we show a significant reduction in autofluorescence of the platform. Further, by integrating apertures onto the substrate with a gold coating, the influence of autofluorescence on imaging is almost completely mitigated. With this new platform, we demonstrate the ability to image a pair of epithelial cells as they are stretched up to 250% strain, allowing us to observe junction rupture and F-actin retraction while simultaneously recording the accumulation of over 800 kPa of stress in the junction. The platform and methodology presented here can potentially enable detailed investigation of the mechanics of and mechanotransduction in cell-cell junctions and improve the design of other TPP platforms in mechanobiology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Rosenbohm
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Grayson Minnick
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Bahareh Tajvidi Safa
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Amir Monemian Esfahani
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Haiwei Zhai
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Nickolay V Lavrik
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6054, USA.
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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14
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Bermudez A, Gonzalez Z, Zhao B, Salter E, Liu X, Ma L, Jawed MK, Hsieh CJ, Lin NYC. Supracellular measurement of spatially varying mechanical heterogeneities in live monolayers. Biophys J 2022; 121:3358-3369. [PMID: 36028999 PMCID: PMC9515370 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.08.024] [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: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanical properties of tissues have profound impacts on a wide range of biological processes such as embryo development (1,2), wound healing (3-6), and disease progression (7). Specifically, the spatially varying moduli of cells largely influence the local tissue deformation and intercellular interaction. Despite the importance of characterizing such a heterogeneous mechanical property, it has remained difficult to measure the supracellular modulus field in live cell layers with a high-throughput and minimal perturbation. In this work, we developed a monolayer effective modulus measurement by integrating a custom cell stretcher, light microscopy, and AI-based inference. Our approach first quantifies the heterogeneous deformation of a slightly stretched cell layer and converts the measured strain fields into an effective modulus field using an AI inference. This method allowed us to directly visualize the effective modulus distribution of thousands of cells virtually instantly. We characterized the mean value, SD, and correlation length of the effective cell modulus for epithelial cells and fibroblasts, which are in agreement with previous results. We also observed a mild correlation between cell area and stiffness in jammed epithelia, suggesting the influence of cell modulus on packing. Overall, our reported experimental platform provides a valuable alternative cell mechanics measurement tool that can be integrated with microscopy-based characterizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Bermudez
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Zachary Gonzalez
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Bao Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Ethan Salter
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xuanqing Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Leixin Ma
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Mohammad Khalid Jawed
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Cho-Jui Hsieh
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Neil Y C Lin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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15
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Moisdon É, Seez P, Molino F, Marcq P, Gay C. Mapping cell cortex rheology to tissue rheology and vice versa. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:034403. [PMID: 36266852 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.034403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanics of biological tissues mainly proceeds from the cell cortex rheology. A direct, explicit link between cortex rheology and tissue rheology remains lacking, yet would be instrumental in understanding how modulations of cortical mechanics may impact tissue mechanical behavior. Using an ordered geometry built on 3D hexagonal, incompressible cells, we build a mapping relating the cortical rheology to the monolayer tissue rheology. Our approach shows that the tissue low-frequency elastic modulus is proportional to the rest tension of the cortex, as expected from the physics of liquid foams as well as of tensegrity structures. A fractional visco-contractile cortex rheology is predicted to yield a high-frequency fractional visco-elastic monolayer rheology, where such a fractional behavior has been recently observed experimentally at each scale separately. In particular cases, the mapping may be inverted, allowing to derive from a given tissue rheology the underlying cortex rheology. Interestingly, applying the same approach to a 2D hexagonal tiling fails, which suggests that the 2D character of planar cell cortex-based models may be unsuitable to account for realistic monolayer rheologies. We provide quantitative predictions, amenable to experimental tests through standard perturbation assays of cortex constituents, and hope to foster new, challenging mechanical experiments on cell monolayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Moisdon
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, CNRS and Université Paris Cité, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
| | - Pierre Seez
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, CNRS and Université Paris Cité, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
| | - François Molino
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, UMR 5221, CNRS and Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Marcq
- PMMH, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Cyprien Gay
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, CNRS and Université Paris Cité, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
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16
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Sri-Ranjan K, Sanchez-Alonso JL, Swiatlowska P, Rothery S, Novak P, Gerlach S, Koeninger D, Hoffmann B, Merkel R, Stevens MM, Sun SX, Gorelik J, Braga VMM. Intrinsic cell rheology drives junction maturation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4832. [PMID: 35977954 PMCID: PMC9385638 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32102-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental property of higher eukaryotes that underpins their evolutionary success is stable cell-cell cohesion. Yet, how intrinsic cell rheology and stiffness contributes to junction stabilization and maturation is poorly understood. We demonstrate that localized modulation of cell rheology governs the transition of a slack, undulated cell-cell contact (weak adhesion) to a mature, straight junction (optimal adhesion). Cell pairs confined on different geometries have heterogeneous elasticity maps and control their own intrinsic rheology co-ordinately. More compliant cell pairs grown on circles have slack contacts, while stiffer triangular cell pairs favour straight junctions with flanking contractile thin bundles. Counter-intuitively, straighter cell-cell contacts have reduced receptor density and less dynamic junctional actin, suggesting an unusual adaptive mechano-response to stabilize cell-cell adhesion. Our modelling informs that slack junctions arise from failure of circular cell pairs to increase their own intrinsic stiffness and resist the pressures from the neighbouring cell. The inability to form a straight junction can be reversed by increasing mechanical stress artificially on stiffer substrates. Our data inform on the minimal intrinsic rheology to generate a mature junction and provide a springboard towards understanding elements governing tissue-level mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sri-Ranjan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - J L Sanchez-Alonso
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - P Swiatlowska
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - S Rothery
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - P Novak
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University, London, UK
| | - S Gerlach
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-2: Mechanobiology, Julich, Germany
| | - D Koeninger
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-2: Mechanobiology, Julich, Germany
| | - B Hoffmann
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-2: Mechanobiology, Julich, Germany
| | - R Merkel
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-2: Mechanobiology, Julich, Germany
| | - M M Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - S X Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Maryland, USA
| | - J Gorelik
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Vania M M Braga
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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17
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Pneumatic Cell Stretching Chip to Generate Uniaxial Strain Using an Elastomeric Membrane with Ridge Structure. CHEMOSENSORS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors10080302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic mechanical stretching, including uniaxial strain, has been manifested to regulate the cell morphology and functions directly. In recent years, many techniques have been developed to apply cyclic mechanical stretching to cells in vitro. Pneumatically actuated stretching is one of the extensively used methods owing to its advantages of integration, miniaturization, and long-term stretching. However, the intrinsic difficulty in fabrication and adjusting the strain mode also impedes its development and application. In this study, inspired by the topological defects principle, we incorporated a ridge structure into the membrane surface of a traditional pneumatic cavity stretching chip to regulate the strain mode. Our results showed that the surface ridge structure can directly change the equiaxial stretching mode to the standard uniaxial strain, and it is ridge width-independent. The uniaxial strain mode was further proved by the cell orientation behavior under cyclic stretching stimulation. Moreover, it is easy to realize the multimodal strain fields by controlling the width and height of the ridge and to achieve high-throughput testing by creating a cavity array using microfabrication. Together, we propose a smart method to change the surface strain field and introduce a simple, yet effective, high-throughput pneumatically actuated uniaxial stretching platform, which can not only realize the multimodal mechanical stimulation but also achieve multiscale mechanosensing behaviors of single-cell or multi-cell (tissue and/or organoid) mechanobiology applications.
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18
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Rayat Pisheh H, Ansari M, Eslami H. How is mechanobiology involved in bone regenerative medicine? Tissue Cell 2022; 76:101821. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2022.101821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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19
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Esfahani AM, Minnick G, Rosenbohm J, Zhai H, Jin X, Tajvidi Safa B, Brooks J, Yang R. Microfabricated platforms to investigate cell mechanical properties. MEDICINE IN NOVEL TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medntd.2021.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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20
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Wahiduzzaman M, Liu Y, Huang T, Wei W, Li Y. Cell-cell communication analysis for single-cell RNA sequencing and its applications in carcinogenesis and COVID-19. BIOSAFETY AND HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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21
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Luciano M, Versaevel M, Vercruysse E, Procès A, Kalukula Y, Remson A, Deridoux A, Gabriele S. Appreciating the role of cell shape changes in the mechanobiology of epithelial tissues. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:011305. [PMID: 38505223 PMCID: PMC10903419 DOI: 10.1063/5.0074317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The wide range of epithelial cell shapes reveals the complexity and diversity of the intracellular mechanisms that serve to construct their morphology and regulate their functions. Using mechanosensitive steps, epithelial cells can sense a variety of different mechanochemical stimuli and adapt their behavior by reshaping their morphology. These changes of cell shape rely on a structural reorganization in space and time that generates modifications of the tensional state and activates biochemical cascades. Recent studies have started to unveil how the cell shape maintenance is involved in mechanical homeostatic tasks to sustain epithelial tissue folding, identity, and self-renewal. Here, we review relevant works that integrated mechanobiology to elucidate some of the core principles of how cell shape may be conveyed into spatial information to guide collective processes such as epithelial morphogenesis. Among many other parameters, we show that the regulation of the cell shape can be understood as the result of the interplay between two counteracting mechanisms: actomyosin contractility and intercellular adhesions, and that both do not act independently but are functionally integrated to operate on molecular, cellular, and tissue scales. We highlight the role of cadherin-based adhesions in force-sensing and mechanotransduction, and we report recent developments that exploit physics of liquid crystals to connect cell shape changes to orientational order in cell aggregates. Finally, we emphasize that the further intermingling of different disciplines to develop new mechanobiology assays will lead the way toward a unified picture of the contribution of cell shape to the pathophysiological behavior of epithelial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Luciano
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Marie Versaevel
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Eléonore Vercruysse
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Anthony Procès
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Yohalie Kalukula
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Remson
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Amandine Deridoux
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Sylvain Gabriele
- University of Mons, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Group, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
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22
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Bonfanti A, Duque J, Kabla A, Charras G. Fracture in living tissues. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:537-551. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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23
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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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24
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Decoding mechanical cues by molecular mechanotransduction. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 72:72-80. [PMID: 34218181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cells are exposed to a variety of mechanical cues, including forces from their local environment and physical properties of the tissue. These mechanical cues regulate a vast number of cellular processes, relying on a repertoire of mechanosensors that transduce forces into biochemical pathways through mechanotransduction. Forces can act on different parts of the cell, carry information regarding magnitude and direction, and have distinct temporal profiles. Thus, the specific cellular response to mechanical forces is dependent on the ability of cells to sense and transduce these physical parameters. In this review, we will highlight recent findings that provide insights into the mechanisms by which different mechanosensors decode mechanical cues and how their coordinated response determines the cellular outcomes.
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