1
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Weißenbruch K, Mayor R. Actomyosin forces in cell migration: Moving beyond cell body retraction. Bioessays 2024:e2400055. [PMID: 39093597 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
In textbook illustrations of migrating cells, actomyosin contractility is typically depicted as the contraction force necessary for cell body retraction. This dogma has been transformed by the molecular clutch model, which acknowledges that actomyosin traction forces also generate and transmit biomechanical signals at the leading edge, enabling cells to sense and shape their migratory path in mechanically complex environments. To fulfill these complementary functions, the actomyosin system assembles a gradient of contractile energy along the front-rear axis of migratory cells. Here, we highlight the hierarchic assembly and self-regulatory network structure of the actomyosin system and explain how the kinetics of different nonmuscle myosin II (NM II) paralogs synergize during contractile force generation. Our aim is to emphasize how protrusion formation, cell adhesion, contraction, and retraction are spatiotemporally integrated during different modes of migration, including chemotaxis and durotaxis. Finally, we hypothesize how different NM II paralogs might tune aspects of migration in vivo, highlighting future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Weißenbruch
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Urbanska M, Guck J. Single-Cell Mechanics: Structural Determinants and Functional Relevance. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:367-395. [PMID: 38382116 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-030629] [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] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of a cell determines its ability to deform under force and is therefore relevant to cellular functions that require changes in cell shape, such as migration or circulation through the microvasculature. On the practical level, the mechanical phenotype can be used as a global readout of the cell's functional state, a marker for disease diagnostics, or an input for tissue modeling. We focus our review on the current knowledge of structural components that contribute to the determination of the cellular mechanical properties and highlight the physiological processes in which the mechanical phenotype of the cells is of critical relevance. The ongoing efforts to understand how to efficiently measure and control the mechanical properties of cells will define the progress in the field and drive mechanical phenotyping toward clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Urbanska
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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3
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Coppini A, Falconieri A, Mualem O, Nasrin SR, Roudon M, Saper G, Hess H, Kakugo A, Raffa V, Shefi O. Can repetitive mechanical motion cause structural damage to axons? Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1371738. [PMID: 38912175 PMCID: PMC11191579 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1371738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological structures have evolved to very efficiently generate, transmit, and withstand mechanical forces. These biological examples have inspired mechanical engineers for centuries and led to the development of critical insights and concepts. However, progress in mechanical engineering also raises new questions about biological structures. The past decades have seen the increasing study of failure of engineered structures due to repetitive loading, and its origin in processes such as materials fatigue. Repetitive loading is also experienced by some neurons, for example in the peripheral nervous system. This perspective, after briefly introducing the engineering concept of mechanical fatigue, aims to discuss the potential effects based on our knowledge of cellular responses to mechanical stresses. A particular focus of our discussion are the effects of mechanical stress on axons and their cytoskeletal structures. Furthermore, we highlight the difficulty of imaging these structures and the promise of new microscopy techniques. The identification of repair mechanisms and paradigms underlying long-term stability is an exciting and emerging topic in biology as well as a potential source of inspiration for engineers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Oz Mualem
- Faculty of Engineering, Bar Ilan Institute of Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials, Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Syeda Rubaiya Nasrin
- Graduate School of Science, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Marine Roudon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gadiel Saper
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Henry Hess
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Akira Kakugo
- Graduate School of Science, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Orit Shefi
- Faculty of Engineering, Bar Ilan Institute of Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials, Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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4
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Ambekar YS, Caiaffa CD, Wlodarczyk BJ, Singh M, Schill AW, Steele JW, Zhang J, Aglyamov SR, Scarcelli G, Finnell RH, Larin KV. Optical coherence tomography-guided Brillouin microscopy highlights regional tissue stiffness differences during anterior neural tube closure in the Mthfd1l murine mutant. Development 2024; 151:dev202475. [PMID: 38682273 PMCID: PMC11165724 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202475] [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] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Neurulation is a highly synchronized biomechanical process leading to the formation of the brain and spinal cord, and its failure leads to neural tube defects (NTDs). Although we are rapidly learning the genetic mechanisms underlying NTDs, the biomechanical aspects are largely unknown. To understand the correlation between NTDs and tissue stiffness during neural tube closure (NTC), we imaged an NTD murine model using optical coherence tomography (OCT), Brillouin microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Here, we associate structural information from OCT with local stiffness from the Brillouin signal of embryos undergoing neurulation. The stiffness of neuroepithelial tissues in Mthfd1l null embryos was significantly lower than that of wild-type embryos. Additionally, exogenous formate supplementation improved tissue stiffness and gross embryonic morphology in nullizygous and heterozygous embryos. Our results demonstrate the significance of proper tissue stiffness in normal NTC and pave the way for future studies on the mechanobiology of normal and abnormal embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlo Donato Caiaffa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Manmohan Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Alexander W. Schill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - John W. Steele
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jitao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Salavat R. Aglyamov
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kirill V. Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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5
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Mathieu M, Isomursu A, Ivaska J. Positive and negative durotaxis - mechanisms and emerging concepts. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261919. [PMID: 38647525 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261919] [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] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell migration is controlled by the coordinated action of cell adhesion, cytoskeletal dynamics, contractility and cell extrinsic cues. Integrins are the main adhesion receptors to ligands of the extracellular matrix (ECM), linking the actin cytoskeleton to the ECM and enabling cells to sense matrix rigidity and mount a directional cell migration response to stiffness gradients. Most models studied show preferred migration of single cells or cell clusters towards increasing rigidity. This is referred to as durotaxis, and since its initial discovery in 2000, technical advances and elegant computational models have provided molecular level details of stiffness sensing in cell migration. However, modeling has long predicted that, depending on cell intrinsic factors, such as the balance of cell adhesion molecules (clutches) and the motor proteins pulling on them, cells might also prefer adhesion to intermediate rigidity. Recently, experimental evidence has supported this notion and demonstrated the ability of cells to migrate towards lower rigidity, in a process called negative durotaxis. In this Review, we discuss the significant conceptual advances that have been made in our appreciation of cell plasticity and context dependency in stiffness-guided directional cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Mathieu
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Aleksi Isomursu
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Johanna Ivaska
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- Western Finnish Cancer Center (FICAN West), University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
- Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, Tukholmankatu 8, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
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6
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So WY, Johnson B, Gordon PB, Bishop KS, Gong H, Burr HA, Staunton JR, Handler C, Sood R, Scarcelli G, Tanner K. Macrophage mediated mesoscale brain mechanical homeostasis mechanically imaged via optical tweezers and Brillouin microscopy in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573380. [PMID: 38234798 PMCID: PMC10793422 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Tissues are active materials where epithelial turnover, immune surveillance, and remodeling of stromal cells such as macrophages all regulate form and function. Scattering modalities such as Brillouin microscopy (BM) can non-invasively access mechanical signatures at GHz. However, our traditional understanding of tissue material properties is derived mainly from modalities which probe mechanical properties at different frequencies. Thus, reconciling measurements amongst these modalities remains an active area. Here, we compare optical tweezer active microrheology (OT-AMR) and Brillouin microscopy (BM) to longitudinally map brain development in the larval zebrafish. We determine that each measurement is able to detect a mechanical signature linked to functional units of the brain. We demonstrate that the corrected BM-Longitudinal modulus using a density factor correlates well with OT-AMR storage modulus at lower frequencies. We also show that the brain tissue mechanical properties are dependent on both the neuronal architecture and the presence of macrophages. Moreover, the BM technique is able to delineate the contributions to mechanical properties of the macrophage from that due to colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) mediated stromal remodeling. Here, our data suggest that macrophage remodeling is instrumental in the maintenance of tissue mechanical homeostasis during development. Moreover, the strong agreement between the OT-AM and BM further demonstrates that scattering-based technique is sensitive to both large and minute structural modification in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woong Young So
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
| | - Bailey Johnson
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
| | | | - Kevin S. Bishop
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
| | - Hyeyeon Gong
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
- University of Maryland - College Park, MD, USA
| | - Hannah A Burr
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
| | | | | | - Raman Sood
- National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, MD, USA
| | | | - Kandice Tanner
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), MD, USA
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7
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Pajic-Lijakovic I, Milivojevic M. Collective durotaxis along a self-generated mobile stiffness gradient in vivo. Biosystems 2024; 237:105155. [PMID: 38367761 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105155] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
A crucial aspect of tissue self-organization during morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer invasion is directed migration of cell collectives. The majority of in vivo directed migration has been guided by chemotaxis, whereby cells follow a chemical gradient. In certain situations, migrating cell collectives can also self-generate the stiffness gradient in the surrounding tissue, which can have a feedback effect on the directionality of the migration. The phenomenon has been observed during collective durotaxis in vivo. Along the biointerface between neighbouring tissues, heterotypic cell-cell interactions are the main cause of this self-generated stiffness gradient. The physical processes in charge of tissue self-organization along the biointerface, which are related to the interplay between cell signalling and the formation of heterotypic cell-cell adhesion contacts, are less well-developed than the biological mechanisms of the cellular interactions. This complex phenomenon is discussed here in the model system, such as collective migration of neural crest cells between ectodermal placode and mesoderm subpopulations within Xenopus embryos by pointing to the role of the dynamics along the biointerface between adjacent cell subpopulations on the subpopulation stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Chemical Engineering, Karnegijeva 4, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia.
| | - Milan Milivojevic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Chemical Engineering, Karnegijeva 4, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
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8
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Pillai EK, Franze K. Mechanics in the nervous system: From development to disease. Neuron 2024; 112:342-361. [PMID: 37967561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Physical forces are ubiquitous in biological processes across scales and diverse contexts. This review highlights the significance of mechanical forces in nervous system development, homeostasis, and disease. We provide an overview of mechanical signals present in the nervous system and delve into mechanotransduction mechanisms translating these mechanical cues into biochemical signals. During development, mechanical cues regulate a plethora of processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, network formation, and cortex folding. Forces then continue exerting their influence on physiological processes, such as neuronal activity, glial cell function, and the interplay between these different cell types. Notably, changes in tissue mechanics manifest in neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumors, potentially offering new diagnostic and therapeutic target opportunities. Understanding the role of cellular forces and tissue mechanics in nervous system physiology and pathology adds a new facet to neurobiology, shedding new light on many processes that remain incompletely understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Pillai
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; Institute of Medical Physics and Microtissue Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestraße 91, 91052 Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Kussmaulallee 1, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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9
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Pfeifer CR, Shyer AE, Rodrigues AR. Creative processes during vertebrate organ morphogenesis: Biophysical self-organization at the supracellular scale. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 86:102305. [PMID: 38181658 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102305] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Here, we review recent developments in the literature that provide insight into self-organization at supracellular scales in vertebrate organ morphogenesis. We briefly present a historical and conceptual analysis of the term "self-organization." Based on this analysis, we suggest that self-organizing processes, at their root, possess a form of causal relationship, reciprocal causality, that is markedly distinct from linear causal chains. We survey the extent to which reciprocal causality can be used to interpret or clarify supracellular studies in development and disease. Finally, we explore how reciprocal causality can exist across length-scales, identifying situations where multiple scales require simultaneous analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte R Pfeifer
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Amy E Shyer
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Alan R Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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10
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Carnicer-Lombarte A, Barone DG, Wronowski F, Malliaras GG, Fawcett JW, Franze K. Regenerative capacity of neural tissue scales with changes in tissue mechanics post injury. Biomaterials 2023; 303:122393. [PMID: 37977006 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122393] [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] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries have devastating consequences for humans, as mammalian neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) cannot regenerate. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), however, neurons may regenerate to restore lost function following injury. While mammalian CNS tissue softens after injury, how PNS tissue mechanics changes in response to mechanical trauma is currently poorly understood. Here we characterised mechanical rat nerve tissue properties before and after in vivo crush and transection injuries using atomic force microscopy-based indentation measurements. Unlike CNS tissue, PNS tissue significantly stiffened after both types of tissue damage. This nerve tissue stiffening strongly correlated with an increase in collagen I levels. Schwann cells, which crucially support PNS regeneration, became more motile and proliferative on stiffer substrates in vitro, suggesting that changes in tissue stiffness may play a key role in facilitating or impeding nervous system regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Carnicer-Lombarte
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK; Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, UK.
| | - Damiano G Barone
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Filip Wronowski
- Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, UK
| | - George G Malliaras
- Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, UK
| | - James W Fawcett
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK; Centre for Reconstructive Neuroscience, Institute for Experimental Medicine CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK; Institute of Medical Physics and Micro-Tissue Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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11
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Walter C, Balouchzadeh R, Garcia KE, Kroenke CD, Pathak A, Bayly PV. Multi-scale measurement of stiffness in the developing ferret brain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20583. [PMID: 37996465 PMCID: PMC10667369 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47900-4] [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] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical folding is an important process during brain development, and aberrant folding is linked to disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Changes in cell numbers, size, and morphology have been proposed to exert forces that control the folding process, but these changes may also influence the mechanical properties of developing brain tissue. Currently, the changes in tissue stiffness during brain folding are unknown. Here, we report stiffness in the developing ferret brain across multiple length scales, emphasizing changes in folding cortical tissue. Using rheometry to measure the bulk properties of brain tissue, we found that overall brain stiffness increases with age over the period of cortical folding. Using atomic force microscopy to target the cortical plate, we found that the occipital cortex increases in stiffness as well as stiffness heterogeneity over the course of development and folding. These findings can help to elucidate the mechanics of the cortical folding process by clarifying the concurrent evolution of tissue properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Walter
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, USA.
| | - Ramin Balouchzadeh
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, USA
| | - Kara E Garcia
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Evansville, IN, USA
| | - Christopher D Kroenke
- Advanced Imaging Research Center and Oregon National Primate Research Center Division of Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Amit Pathak
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, USA
| | - Philip V Bayly
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, USA.
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12
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Sáez P, Borau C, Antonovaite N, Franze K. Brain tissue mechanics is governed by microscale relations of the tissue constituents. Biomaterials 2023; 301:122273. [PMID: 37639974 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122273] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Local mechanical tissue properties are a critical regulator of cell function in the central nervous system (CNS) during development and disorder. However, we still don't fully understand how the mechanical properties of individual tissue constituents, such as cell nuclei or myelin, determine tissue mechanics. Here we developed a model predicting local tissue mechanics, which induces non-affine deformations of the tissue components. Using the mouse hippocampus and cerebellum as model systems, we show that considering individual tissue components alone, as identified by immunohistochemistry, is not sufficient to reproduce the local mechanical properties of CNS tissue. Our results suggest that brain tissue shows a universal response to applied forces that depends not only on the amount and stiffness of the individual tissue constituents but also on the way how they assemble. Our model may unify current incongruences between the mechanics of soft biological tissues and the underlying constituents and facilitate the design of better biomedical materials and engineered tissues. To this end, we provide a freely-available platform to predict local tissue elasticity upon providing immunohistochemistry images and stiffness values for the constituents of the tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sáez
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numèric (LaCàN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Mathematics of UPC-BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Borau
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - N Antonovaite
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLab Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - K Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK; Institute of Medical Physics and Microtissue Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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13
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Atashgar F, Shafieian M, Abolfathi N. The effect of the properties of cell nucleus and underlying substrate on the response of finite element models of astrocytes undergoing mechanical stimulations. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2023; 26:1572-1581. [PMID: 36324266 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2022.2128673] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Astrocyte cells play a critical role in the mechanical behaviour of the brain tissue; hence understanding the properties of Astrocytes is a big step toward understanding brain diseases and abnormalities. Conventionally, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used as one of the most powerful tools to characterize the mechanical properties of cells. However, due to the complexities of experimental work and the complex behaviour of living cells, the finite element method (FEM) is commonly used to estimate the cells' response to mechanical stimulations. In this study, we developed a finite element model of the Astrocyte cells to investigate the effect of two key parameters that could affect the response of the cell to mechanical loading; the properties of the underlying substrate and the nucleus. In this regard, the cells were placed on two different substrates in terms of thickness and stiffness (gel and glass) with varying properties of the nucleus. The main achievement of this study was to develop an insight to investigate the response of the Astrocytes to mechanical loading for future studies, both experimentally and computationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Atashgar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shafieian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nabiollah Abolfathi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Tang S, Weiner B, Taraballi F, Haase C, Stetco E, Mehta SM, Shajudeen P, Hogan M, De Rosa E, Horner PJ, Grande-Allen KJ, Shi Z, Karmonik C, Tasciotti E, Righetti R. Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15323. [PMID: 37714920 PMCID: PMC10504274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41172-8] [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] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound elastography (USE) techniques to assess SCI in vivo at the site of the injury and at the time of one week post injury, in a rabbit animal model. Eleven rabbits underwent laminectomy procedures. Among them, spinal cords of five rabbits were injured during the procedure. The other six rabbits were used as control. Two neurological statuses were achieved: non-paralysis and paralysis. Ultrasound data were collected one week post-surgery and processed to compute strain ratios. Histologic analysis, mechanical testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to validate USE results. Strain ratios computed via USE were found to be significantly different in paralyzed versus non-paralyzed rabbits. The myelomalacia histologic score and spinal cord Young's modulus evaluated in selected animals were in good qualitative agreement with USE assessment. It is feasible to use USE to assess changes in the spinal cord of the presented animal model. In the future, with more experimental data available, USE may provide new quantitative tools for improving SCI diagnosis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyuan Tang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bradley Weiner
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Francesca Taraballi
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Candice Haase
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eliana Stetco
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Peer Shajudeen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Matthew Hogan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Enrica De Rosa
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Philip J Horner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Zhaoyue Shi
- Translational Imaging Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christof Karmonik
- Translational Imaging Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ennio Tasciotti
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University and IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, 00166, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Righetti
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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15
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Wang C, Wu Y, Dong X, Armacki M, Sitti M. In situ sensing physiological properties of biological tissues using wireless miniature soft robots. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg3988. [PMID: 37285426 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Implanted electronic sensors, compared with conventional medical imaging, allow monitoring of advanced physiological properties of soft biological tissues continuously, such as adhesion, pH, viscoelasticity, and biomarkers for disease diagnosis. However, they are typically invasive, requiring being deployed by surgery, and frequently cause inflammation. Here we propose a minimally invasive method of using wireless miniature soft robots to in situ sense the physiological properties of tissues. By controlling robot-tissue interaction using external magnetic fields, visualized by medical imaging, we can recover tissue properties precisely from the robot shape and magnetic fields. We demonstrate that the robot can traverse tissues with multimodal locomotion and sense the adhesion, pH, and viscoelasticity on porcine and mice gastrointestinal tissues ex vivo, tracked by x-ray or ultrasound imaging. With the unprecedented capability of sensing tissue physiological properties with minimal invasion and high resolution deep inside our body, this technology can potentially enable critical applications in both basic research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiang Wang
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Yingdan Wu
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Xiaoguang Dong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | | | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
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16
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Breau MA, Trembleau A. Chemical and mechanical control of axon fasciculation and defasciculation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 140:72-81. [PMID: 35810068 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.014] [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: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neural networks are constructed through the development of robust axonal projections from individual neurons, which ultimately establish connections with their targets. In most animals, developing axons assemble in bundles to navigate collectively across various areas within the central nervous system or the periphery, before they separate from these bundles in order to find their specific targets. These processes, called fasciculation and defasciculation respectively, were thought for many years to be controlled chemically: while guidance cues may attract or repulse axonal growth cones, adhesion molecules expressed at the surface of axons mediate their fasciculation. Recently, an additional non-chemical parameter, the mechanical longitudinal tension of axons, turned out to play a role in axon fasciculation and defasciculation, through zippering and unzippering of axon shafts. In this review, we present an integrated view of the currently known chemical and mechanical control of axon:axon dynamic interactions. We highlight the facts that the decision to cross or not to cross another axon depends on a combination of chemical, mechanical and geometrical parameters, and that the decision to fasciculate/defasciculate through zippering/unzippering relies on the balance between axon:axon adhesion and their mechanical tension. Finally, we speculate about possible functional implications of zippering-dependent axon shaft fasciculation, in the collective migration of axons, and in the sorting of subpopulations of axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anne Breau
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR 7622), Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Developmental Biology Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trembleau
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR8246), Inserm U1130, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Neuroscience Paris Seine (NPS), Paris, France.
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17
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Zhang H, Xu H, Sun W, Fang X, Qin P, Huang J, Fang J, Lin F, Xiong C. Purse-string contraction guides mechanical gradient-dictated heterogeneous migration of epithelial monolayer. Acta Biomater 2023; 159:38-48. [PMID: 36708850 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.01.046] [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: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical heterogeneity has been recognized as an important role in mediating collective cell migration, yet the related mechanism has not been elucidated. Herein, we fabricate heterogeneous stiffness gradients by leveraging microelastically-patterned hydrogels with varying periodic distance. We observe that a decrease in the periodic distance of the mechanical heterogeneity is accompanied by an overall increase in the velocity and directionality of the migrating monolayer. Moreover, inhibition of ROCK- and myosin ⅡA- but not Rac1-mediated contraction reduces monolayer migration on the mechanically heterogeneous substrates. Furthermore, we find that F-actin and myosin ⅡA form purse-string at the leading edge on the mechanically heterogeneous substrates. Together, these findings not only show that the orientational cell-cell contraction promotes collective cell migration under the mechanical heterogeneity, but also demonstrate that the mechanosensation arising from large-scale cell-cell interactions through purse-string formation mediated cell-cell orientational contraction can feed back to regulate the reorganization of epithelial tissues. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: By detecting the links between heterogenous rigidity and collective cell migration behavior at the molecular level, we reveal that collective cell migration in the mechanical heterogeneity is driven by ROCK- and myosin-ⅡA-dependent cytoskeletal tension. We confirm that cytoskeletal tension across the epithelial tissue is holistically linked through F-actin and myosin-ⅡA, which cooperate to form purse-string structures for modulating collective tissue behavior on the exogenous matrix with mechanical heterogeneity. Mechanical heterogeneity initiates tissue growth, remodelling, and morphogenesis by orientating cell contractility. Therefore, tensional homeostasis across large-scale cell interactions appears to be necessary and sufficient to trigger collective tissue behavior. Overall, these findings shed light on the role of mechanical heterogeneity in tissue microenvironment for reorganization and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihui Zhang
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518005, China
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Weihao Sun
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xu Fang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peiwu Qin
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518005, China
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jing Fang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
| | - Chunyang Xiong
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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18
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Abstract
Recently, substrate stiffness has been involved in the physiology and pathology of the nervous system. However, the role and function of substrate stiffness remain unclear. Here, we review known effects of substrate stiffness on nerve cell morphology and function in the central and peripheral nervous systems and their involvement in pathology. We hope this review will clarify the research status of substrate stiffness in nerve cells and neurological disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijin Si
- Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Information Analysis and Tumor Diagnosis & Treatment, Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jihong Gong
- Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Information Analysis and Tumor Diagnosis & Treatment, Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaofei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Information Analysis and Tumor Diagnosis & Treatment, Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China
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19
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Bertalan G, Becker J, Tzschätzsch H, Morr A, Herthum H, Shahryari M, Greenhalgh RD, Guo J, Schröder L, Alzheimer C, Budday S, Franze K, Braun J, Sack I. Mechanical behavior of the hippocampus and corpus callosum: An attempt to reconcile ex vivo with in vivo and micro with macro properties. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 138:105613. [PMID: 36549250 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of brain tissue are very complex and vary with the species, region, method, and dynamic range, and between in vivo and ex vivo measurements. To reconcile this variability, we investigated in vivo and ex vivo stiffness properties of two distinct regions in the human and mouse brain - the hippocampus (HP) and the corpus callosum (CC) - using different methods. Under quasi-static conditions, we examined ex vivo murine HP and CC by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Between 16 and 40Hz, we investigated the in vivo brains of healthy volunteers by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in a 3-T clinical scanner. At high-frequency stimulation between 1000 and 1400Hz, we investigated the murine HP and CC ex vivo and in vivo with MRE in a 7-T preclinical system. HP and CC showed pronounced stiffness dispersion, as reflected by a factor of 32-36 increase in shear modulus from AFM to low-frequency human MRE and a 25-fold higher shear wave velocity in murine MRE than in human MRE. At low frequencies, HP was softer than CC, in both ex vivo mouse specimens (p < 0.05) and in vivo human brains (p < 0.01) while, at high frequencies, CC was softer than HP under in vivo (p < 0.01) and ex vivo (p < 0.05) conditions. The standard linear solid model comprising three elements reproduced the observed HP and CC stiffness dispersions, while other two- and three-element models failed. Our results indicate a remarkable consistency of brain stiffness across species, ex vivo and in vivo states, and different measurement techniques when marked viscoelastic dispersion properties combining equilibrium and non-equilibrium mechanical elements are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergerly Bertalan
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Becker
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Morr
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helge Herthum
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ryan D Greenhalgh
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif Schröder
- Translational Molecular Imaging, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Alzheimer
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Silvia Budday
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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20
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Mohagheghian E, Luo J, Yavitt FM, Wei F, Bhala P, Amar K, Rashid F, Wang Y, Liu X, Ji C, Chen J, Arnold DP, Liu Z, Anseth KS, Wang N. Quantifying stiffness and forces of tumor colonies and embryos using a magnetic microrobot. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadc9800. [PMID: 36696474 PMCID: PMC10098875 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adc9800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stiffness and forces are two fundamental quantities essential to living cells and tissues. However, it has been a challenge to quantify both 3D traction forces and stiffness (or modulus) using the same probe in vivo. Here, we describe an approach that overcomes this challenge by creating a magnetic microrobot probe with controllable functionality. Biocompatible ferromagnetic cobalt-platinum microcrosses were fabricated, and each microcross (about 30 micrometers) was trapped inside an arginine-glycine-apartic acid-conjugated stiff poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) round microgel (about 50 micrometers) using a microfluidic device. The stiff magnetic microrobot was seeded inside a cell colony and acted as a stiffness probe by rigidly rotating in response to an oscillatory magnetic field. Then, brief episodes of ultraviolet light exposure were applied to dynamically photodegrade and soften the fluorescent nanoparticle-embedded PEG microgel, whose deformation and 3D traction forces were quantified. Using the microrobot probe, we show that malignant tumor-repopulating cell colonies altered their modulus but not traction forces in response to different 3D substrate elasticities. Stiffness and 3D traction forces were measured, and both normal and shear traction force oscillations were observed in zebrafish embryos from blastula to gastrula. Mouse embryos generated larger tensile and compressive traction force oscillations than shear traction force oscillations during blastocyst. The microrobot probe with controllable functionality via magnetic fields could potentially be useful for studying the mechanoregulation of cells, tissues, and embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Mohagheghian
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Junyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - F. Max Yavitt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Fuxiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Parth Bhala
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kshitij Amar
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Fazlur Rashid
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yuzheng Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chenyang Ji
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Junwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - David P. Arnold
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kristi S. Anseth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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21
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Hakeem RM, Subramanian BC, Hockenberry MA, King ZT, Butler MT, Legant WR, Bear JE. A Photopolymerized Hydrogel System with Dual Stiffness Gradients Reveals Distinct Actomyosin-Based Mechano-Responses in Fibroblast Durotaxis. ACS NANO 2023; 17:197-211. [PMID: 36475639 PMCID: PMC9839609 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c05941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Durotaxis, migration of cells directed by a stiffness gradient, is critical in development and disease. To distinguish durotaxis-specific migration mechanisms from those on uniform substrate stiffnesses, we engineered an all-in-one photopolymerized hydrogel system containing areas of stiffness gradients with dual slopes (steep and shallow), adjacent to uniform stiffness (soft and stiff) regions. While fibroblasts rely on nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) activity and the LIM-domain protein Zyxin, ROCK and the Arp2/3 complex are surprisingly dispensable for durotaxis on either stiffness gradient. Additionally, loss of either actin-elongator Formin-like 3 (FMNL3) or actin-bundler fascin has little impact on durotactic response on stiffness gradients. However, lack of Arp2/3 activity results in a filopodia-based durotactic migration that is equally as efficient as that of lamellipodia-based durotactic migration. Importantly, we uncover essential and specific roles for FMNL3 and fascin in the formation and asymmetric distribution of filopodia during filopodia-based durotaxis response to the stiffness gradients. Together, our tunable all-in-one hydrogel system serves to identify both conserved as well as distinct molecular mechanisms that underlie mechano-responses of cells experiencing altered slopes of stiffness gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem M Hakeem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Bhagawat C Subramanian
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Max A Hockenberry
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Zayna T King
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Mitchell T Butler
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Wesley R Legant
- Department of Pharmacology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - James E Bear
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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22
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Nomdedeu-Sancho G, Alsina B. Wiring the senses: Factors that regulate peripheral axon pathfinding in sensory systems. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:81-103. [PMID: 35972036 PMCID: PMC10087148 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory neurons of the head are the ones that transmit the information about the external world to our brain for its processing. Axons from cranial sensory neurons sense different chemoattractant and chemorepulsive molecules during the journey and in the target tissue to establish the precise innervation with brain neurons and/or receptor cells. Here, we aim to unify and summarize the available information regarding molecular mechanisms guiding the different afferent sensory axons of the head. By putting the information together, we find the use of similar guidance cues in different sensory systems but in distinct combinations. In vertebrates, the number of genes in each family of guidance cues has suffered a great expansion in the genome, providing redundancy, and robustness. We also discuss recently published data involving the role of glia and mechanical forces in shaping the axon paths. Finally, we highlight the remaining questions to be addressed in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Nomdedeu-Sancho
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Berta Alsina
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Elosegui-Artola A, Gupta A, Najibi AJ, Seo BR, Garry R, Tringides CM, de Lázaro I, Darnell M, Gu W, Zhou Q, Weitz DA, Mahadevan L, Mooney DJ. Matrix viscoelasticity controls spatiotemporal tissue organization. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:117-127. [PMID: 36456871 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular and physical cues of the extracellular matrix environment regulate collective cell dynamics and tissue patterning. Nonetheless, how the viscoelastic properties of the matrix regulate collective cell spatial and temporal organization is not fully understood. Here we show that the passive viscoelastic properties of the matrix encapsulating a spheroidal tissue of breast epithelial cells guide tissue proliferation in space and in time. Matrix viscoelasticity prompts symmetry breaking of the spheroid, leading to the formation of invading finger-like protrusions, YAP nuclear translocation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition both in vitro and in vivo in a Arp2/3-complex-dependent manner. Computational modelling of these observations allows us to establish a phase diagram relating morphological stability with matrix viscoelasticity, tissue viscosity, cell motility and cell division rate, which is experimentally validated by biochemical assays and in vitro experiments with an intestinal organoid. Altogether, this work highlights the role of stress relaxation mechanisms in tissue growth dynamics, a fundamental process in morphogenesis and oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anupam Gupta
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Alexander J Najibi
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bo Ri Seo
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ryan Garry
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina M Tringides
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division in Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Irene de Lázaro
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Max Darnell
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wei Gu
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qiao Zhou
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - L Mahadevan
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - David J Mooney
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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24
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Ros O, Nicol X. Axon pathfinding and targeting: (R)evolution of insights from in vitro assays. Neuroscience 2023; 508:110-122. [PMID: 36096337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.09.006] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Investigating axonal behaviors while neurons are connecting with each other has been a challenge since the early studies on nervous system development. While molecule-driven axon pathfinding has been theorized by observing neurons at different developmental stages in vivo, direct observation and measurements of axon guidance behaviors required the invention of in vitro systems enabling to test the impact of molecules or cellular extracts on axons growing in vitro. With time, the development of novel in vivo approaches has confirmed the mechanisms highlighted in culture and has led in vitro systems to be adapted for cellular processes that are still inaccessible in intact organisms. We here review the evolution of these in vitro assays, which started with crucial contributions from the Bonhoeffer lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Ros
- Universitat de Barcelona, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Nicol
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012 Paris, France.
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25
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Zarubova J, Hasani-Sadrabadi MM, Norris SCP, Majedi FS, Xiao C, Kasko AM, Li S. Cell-Taxi: Mesenchymal Cells Carry and Transport Clusters of Cancer Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203515. [PMID: 36307906 PMCID: PMC9772300 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cell clusters that collectively migrate from primary tumors appear to be far more potent in forming distant metastases than single cancer cells. A better understanding of the collective cell migration phenomenon and the involvement of various cell types during this process is needed. Here, an in vitro platform based on inverted-pyramidal microwells to follow and quantify the collective migration of hundreds of tumor cell clusters at once is developed. These results indicate that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the heterotypic tumor cell clusters may facilitate metastatic dissemination by transporting low-motile cancer cells in a Rac-dependent manner and that extracellular vesicles secreted by mesenchymal cells only play a minor role in this process. Furthermore, in vivo studies show that cancer cell spheroids containing MSCs or CAFs have faster spreading rates. These findings highlight the active role of co-traveling stromal cells in the collective migration of tumor cell clusters and may help in developing better-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Zarubova
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
- Department of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Hasani-Sadrabadi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Sam C P Norris
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Fatemeh Sadat Majedi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Crystal Xiao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Andrea M Kasko
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Song Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
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26
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Marchant CL, Malmi-Kakkada AN, Espina JA, Barriga EH. Cell clusters softening triggers collective cell migration in vivo. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:1314-1323. [PMID: 35970965 PMCID: PMC9622418 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01323-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Embryogenesis, tissue repair and cancer metastasis rely on collective cell migration. In vitro studies propose that cells are stiffer while migrating in stiff substrates, but softer when plated in compliant surfaces which are typically considered as non-permissive for migration. Here we show that cells within clusters from embryonic tissue dynamically decrease their stiffness in response to the temporal stiffening of their native substrate to initiate collective cell migration. Molecular and mechanical perturbations of embryonic tissues reveal that this unexpected mechanical response involves a mechanosensitive pathway relying on Piezo1-mediated microtubule deacetylation. We further show that decreasing microtubule acetylation and consequently cluster stiffness is sufficient to trigger collective cell migration in soft non-permissive substrates. This suggests that reaching an optimal cluster-to-substrate stiffness ratio is essential to trigger the onset of this collective process. Overall, these in vivo findings challenge the current understanding of collective cell migration and its physiological and pathological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian L Marchant
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Laboratory, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Abdul N Malmi-Kakkada
- Computational Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Jaime A Espina
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Laboratory, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Elias H Barriga
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Laboratory, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal.
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27
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Clark AG, Maitra A, Jacques C, Bergert M, Pérez-González C, Simon A, Lederer L, Diz-Muñoz A, Trepat X, Voituriez R, Vignjevic DM. Self-generated gradients steer collective migration on viscoelastic collagen networks. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:1200-1210. [PMID: 35637338 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01259-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that the physical properties of the cellular microenvironment influence cell migration. However, it is not currently understood how active physical remodelling by cells affects migration dynamics. Here we report that cell clusters seeded on deformable collagen-I networks display persistent collective migration despite not showing any apparent intrinsic polarity. Clusters generate transient gradients in collagen density and alignment due to viscoelastic relaxation of the collagen networks. Combining theory and experiments, we show that crosslinking collagen networks or reducing cell cluster size results in reduced network deformation, shorter viscoelastic relaxation time and smaller gradients, leading to lower migration persistence. Traction force and Brillouin microscopy reveal asymmetries in force distributions and collagen stiffness during migration, providing evidence of mechanical cross-talk between cells and their substrate during migration. This physical model provides a mechanism for self-generated directional migration on viscoelastic substrates in the absence of internal biochemical polarity cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Clark
- Cell Biology and Cancer Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris, France.
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Center for Personalized Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Ananyo Maitra
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Sorbonne Université and CNRS, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation, CNRS, CY Cergy Paris Université, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
| | - Cécile Jacques
- Cell Biology and Cancer Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Martin Bergert
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carlos Pérez-González
- Cell Biology and Cancer Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Simon
- Cell Biology and Cancer Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Luc Lederer
- Cell Biology and Cancer Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Alba Diz-Muñoz
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Facultat de Medicina, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raphaël Voituriez
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation, CNRS, CY Cergy Paris Université, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, Sorbonne Université and CNRS, Paris, France
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28
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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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29
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Vela-Alcantara AM, Rios-Ramirez A, Santiago-Garcia J, Rodriguez-Alba JC, Tamariz Domínguez E. Modulation of DRG neurons response to semaphorin 3A via substrate stiffness. Cells Dev 2022; 171:203800. [PMID: 35717026 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203800] [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: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Semaphorin 3A (Sema3a) is a chemotropic protein that acts as a neuronal guidance cue and plays a major role in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons projection during embryo development. The present study evaluated the impact of stiffness in the repulsive response of DRG neurons to Sema3a when cultured over substrates of variable stiffness. Stiffness modified DRG neurons morphology and regulated their response to Sema3a, reducing the collapse of growth cones when they were cultured on softer substrates. Sema3a receptors expression was also regulated by stiffness, neuropilin-1 was overexpressed and plexin A4 mRNA was downregulated in stiffer substrates. Cytoskeleton distribution was also modified by stiffness. In softer substrates, βIII-tubulin and actin co-localized up to the leading edge of the growth cones, and as the substrate became stiffer, βIII-tubulin was confined to the transition and peripheral domains of the growth cone. Moreover, a decrease in the α-actinin adaptor protein was also observed in softer substrates. Our results show that substrate stiffness plays an important role in regulating the collapse response to Sema3a and that the modulation of cytoskeleton distribution and Sema3a receptors expression are related to the differential collapse responses of the growth cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Monserrat Vela-Alcantara
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico; Maestría y Doctorado en Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.
| | - Ariadna Rios-Ramirez
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Juriquilla #3001, 76230 Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico.
| | - Juan Santiago-Garcia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Alba
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - Elisa Tamariz Domínguez
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
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30
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Hoppstädter M, Püllmann D, Seydewitz R, Kuhl E, Böl M. Correlating the microstructural architecture and macrostructural behaviour of the brain. Acta Biomater 2022; 151:379-395. [PMID: 36002124 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.08.034] [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: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The computational simulation of pathological conditions and surgical procedures, for example the removal of cancerous tissue, can contribute crucially to the future of medicine. Especially for brain surgery, these methods can be important, as the ultra-soft tissue controls vital functions of the body. However, the microstructural interactions and their effects on macroscopic material properties remain incompletely understood. Therefore, we investigated the mechanical behaviour of brain tissue under three different deformation modes, axial tension, compression, and semi-confined compression, in different anatomical regions, and for varying axon orientation. In addition, we characterised the underlying microstructure in terms of myelin, cells, glial cells and neuron area fraction, and density. The correlation of these quantities with the material parameters of the anisotropic Ogden model reveals a decrease in shear modulus with increasing myelin area fraction. Strikingly, the tensile shear modulus correlates positively with cell and neuronal area fraction (Spearman's correlation coefficient of rs=0.40 and rs=0.33), whereas the compressive shear modulus decreases with increasing glial cell area (rs=-0.33). Our study finds that tissue non-linearity significantly depends on the myelin area fraction (rs=0.47), cell density (rs=0.41) and glial cell area (rs=0.49). Our results provide an important step towards understanding the micromechanical load transfer that leads to the non-linear macromechanical behaviour of the brain. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Within this article, we investigate the mechanical behaviour of brain tissue under three different deformation modes, in different anatomical regions, and for varying axon orientation. Further, we characterise the underlying microstructure in terms of various constituents. The correlation of these quantities with the material parameters of the anisotropic Ogden model reveals a decrease in shear modulus with increasing myelin area fraction. Strikingly, the tensile shear modulus correlates positively with cell and neuronal area fraction, whereas the compressive shear modulus decreases with increasing glial cell area. Our study finds that tissue non-linearity significantly depends on the myelin area fraction, cell density, and glial cell area. Our results provide an important step towards understanding the micromechanical load transfer that leads to the non-linear macromechanical behaviour of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Hoppstädter
- Institute of Mechanics and Adaptronics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig D-38106, Germany
| | - Denise Püllmann
- Institute of Mechanics and Adaptronics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig D-38106, Germany
| | - Robert Seydewitz
- Institute of Mechanics and Adaptronics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig D-38106, Germany
| | - Ellen Kuhl
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Markus Böl
- Institute of Mechanics and Adaptronics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig D-38106, Germany.
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31
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Schaeffer J, Weber IP, Thompson AJ, Keynes RJ, Franze K. Axons in the Chick Embryo Follow Soft Pathways Through Developing Somite Segments. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:917589. [PMID: 35874821 PMCID: PMC9304555 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.917589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During patterning of the peripheral nervous system, motor axons grow sequentially out of the neural tube in a segmented fashion to ensure functional integration of the motor roots between the surrounding cartilage and bones of the developing vertebrae. This segmented outgrowth is regulated by the intrinsic properties of each segment (somite) adjacent to the neural tube, and in particular by chemical repulsive guidance cues expressed in the posterior half. Yet, knockout models for such repulsive cues still display initial segmentation of outgrowing motor axons, suggesting the existence of additional, yet unknown regulatory mechanisms of axon growth segmentation. As neuronal growth is not only regulated by chemical but also by mechanical signals, we here characterized the mechanical environment of outgrowing motor axons. Using atomic force microscopy-based indentation measurements on chick embryo somite strips, we identified stiffness gradients in each segment, which precedes motor axon growth. Axon growth was restricted to the anterior, softer tissue, which showed lower cell body densities than the repulsive stiffer posterior parts at later stages. As tissue stiffness is known to regulate axon growth during development, our results suggest that motor axons also respond to periodic stiffness gradients imposed by the intrinsic mechanical properties of somites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Schaeffer
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- *Correspondence: Julia Schaeffer, ; Kristian Franze,
| | - Isabell P. Weber
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amelia J. Thompson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Roger J. Keynes
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Julia Schaeffer, ; Kristian Franze,
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32
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Pajic-Lijakovic I, Milivojevic M, Clark AG. Collective Cell Migration on Collagen-I Networks: The Impact of Matrix Viscoelasticity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:901026. [PMID: 35859899 PMCID: PMC9289519 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.901026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective cell migration on extracellular matrix (ECM) networks is a key biological process involved in development, tissue homeostasis and diseases such as metastatic cancer. During invasion of epithelial cancers, cell clusters migrate through the surrounding stroma, which is comprised primarily of networks of collagen-I fibers. There is growing evidence that the rheological and topological properties of collagen networks can impact cell behavior and cell migration dynamics. During migration, cells exert mechanical forces on their substrate, resulting in an active remodeling of ECM networks that depends not only on the forces produced, but also on the molecular mechanisms that dictate network rheology. One aspect of collagen network rheology whose role is emerging as a crucial parameter in dictating cell behavior is network viscoelasticity. Dynamic reorganization of ECM networks can induce local changes in network organization and mechanics, which can further feed back on cell migration dynamics and cell-cell rearrangement. A number of studies, including many recent publications, have investigated the mechanisms underlying structural changes to collagen networks in response to mechanical force as well as the role of collagen rheology and topology in regulating cell behavior. In this mini-review, we explore the cause-consequence relationship between collagen network viscoelasticity and cell rearrangements at various spatiotemporal scales. We focus on structural alterations of collagen-I networks during collective cell migration and discuss the main rheological parameters, and in particular the role of viscoelasticity, which can contribute to local matrix stiffening during cell movement and can elicit changes in cell dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milan Milivojevic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Andrew G. Clark
- University of Stuttgart, Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, Stuttgart, Germany
- University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, Stuttgart, Germany
- University of Tübingen, Center for Personalized Medicine, Tübingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Andrew G. Clark,
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33
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Chowdhury F, Huang B, Wang N. Forces in stem cells and cancer stem cells. Cells Dev 2022; 170:203776. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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34
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Huebner RJ, Weng S, Lee C, Sarıkaya S, Papoulas O, Cox RM, Marcotte EM, Wallingford JB. ARVCF catenin controls force production during vertebrate convergent extension. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1119-1131.e5. [PMID: 35476939 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The design of an animal's body plan is encoded in the genome, and the execution of this program is a mechanical progression involving coordinated movement of proteins, cells, and whole tissues. Thus, a challenge to understanding morphogenesis is connecting events that occur across various length scales. Here, we describe how a poorly characterized adhesion effector, Arvcf catenin, controls Xenopus head-to-tail axis extension. We find that Arvcf is required for axis extension within the intact organism but not within isolated tissues. We show that the organism-scale phenotype results from a defect in tissue-scale force production. Finally, we determine that the force defect results from the dampening of the pulsatile recruitment of cell adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins to membranes. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of Arvcf function during axis extension and produce an insight into how a cellular-scale defect in adhesion results in an organism-scale failure of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shinuo Weng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Chanjae Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sena Sarıkaya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ophelia Papoulas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rachael M Cox
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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35
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Salbaum KA, Shelton ER, Serwane F. Retina organoids: Window into the biophysics of neuronal systems. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:011302. [PMID: 38505227 PMCID: PMC10903499 DOI: 10.1063/5.0077014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
With a kind of magnetism, the human retina draws the eye of neuroscientist and physicist alike. It is attractive as a self-organizing system, which forms as a part of the central nervous system via biochemical and mechanical cues. The retina is also intriguing as an electro-optical device, converting photons into voltages to perform on-the-fly filtering before the signals are sent to our brain. Here, we consider how the advent of stem cell derived in vitro analogs of the retina, termed retina organoids, opens up an exploration of the interplay between optics, electrics, and mechanics in a complex neuronal network, all in a Petri dish. This review presents state-of-the-art retina organoid protocols by emphasizing links to the biochemical and mechanical signals of in vivo retinogenesis. Electrophysiological recording of active signal processing becomes possible as retina organoids generate light sensitive and synaptically connected photoreceptors. Experimental biophysical tools provide data to steer the development of mathematical models operating at different levels of coarse-graining. In concert, they provide a means to study how mechanical factors guide retina self-assembly. In turn, this understanding informs the engineering of mechanical signals required to tailor the growth of neuronal network morphology. Tackling the complex developmental and computational processes in the retina requires an interdisciplinary endeavor combining experiment and theory, physics, and biology. The reward is enticing: in the next few years, retina organoids could offer a glimpse inside the machinery of simultaneous cellular self-assembly and signal processing, all in an in vitro setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elijah R. Shelton
- Faculty of Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Monnot P, Gangatharan G, Baraban M, Pottin K, Cabrera M, Bonnet I, Breau MA. Intertissue mechanical interactions shape the olfactory circuit in zebrafish. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e52963. [PMID: 34889034 PMCID: PMC8811657 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While the chemical signals guiding neuronal migration and axon elongation have been extensively studied, the influence of mechanical cues on these processes remains poorly studied in vivo. Here, we investigate how mechanical forces exerted by surrounding tissues steer neuronal movements and axon extension during the morphogenesis of the olfactory placode in zebrafish. We mainly focus on the mechanical contribution of the adjacent eye tissue, which develops underneath the placode through extensive evagination and invagination movements. Using quantitative analysis of cell movements and biomechanical manipulations, we show that the developing eye exerts lateral traction forces on the olfactory placode through extracellular matrix, mediating proper morphogenetic movements and axon extension within the placode. Our data shed new light on the key participation of intertissue mechanical interactions in the sculpting of neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Monnot
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance,Institut CurieUniversité PSLSorbonne UniversitéCNRS UMR168Laboratoire Physico Chimie CurieParisFrance,Laboratoire Jean PerrinParisFrance
| | - Girisaran Gangatharan
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Marion Baraban
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance,Laboratoire Jean PerrinParisFrance
| | - Karen Pottin
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Melody Cabrera
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Isabelle Bonnet
- Institut CurieUniversité PSLSorbonne UniversitéCNRS UMR168Laboratoire Physico Chimie CurieParisFrance
| | - Marie Anne Breau
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine (IBPS)Developmental Biology LaboratorySorbonne UniversitéParisFrance,Laboratoire Jean PerrinParisFrance,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)ParisFrance
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Abstract
The establishment of a functioning neuronal network is a crucial step in neural development. During this process, neurons extend neurites—axons and dendrites—to meet other neurons and interconnect. Therefore, these neurites need to migrate, grow, branch and find the correct path to their target by processing sensory cues from their environment. These processes rely on many coupled biophysical effects including elasticity, viscosity, growth, active forces, chemical signaling, adhesion and cellular transport. Mathematical models offer a direct way to test hypotheses and understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for neuron development. Here, we critically review the main models of neurite growth and morphogenesis from a mathematical viewpoint. We present different models for growth, guidance and morphogenesis, with a particular emphasis on mechanics and mechanisms, and on simple mathematical models that can be partially treated analytically.
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38
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Understanding the Mechanobiology of Gliosis May Be the Key to Unlocking Sustained Chronic Performance of Bioelectronic Neural Interfaces. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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39
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Shellard A, Mayor R. Collective durotaxis along a self-generated stiffness gradient in vivo. Nature 2021; 600:690-694. [PMID: 34880503 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04210-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Collective cell migration underlies morphogenesis, wound healing and cancer invasion1,2. Most directed migration in vivo has been attributed to chemotaxis, whereby cells follow a chemical gradient3-5. Cells can also follow a stiffness gradient in vitro, a process called durotaxis3,4,6-8, but evidence for durotaxis in vivo is lacking6. Here we show that in Xenopus laevis the neural crest-an embryonic cell population-self-generates a stiffness gradient in the adjacent placodal tissue, and follows this gradient by durotaxis. The gradient moves with the neural crest, which is continually pursuing a retreating region of high substrate stiffness. Mechanistically, the neural crest induces the gradient due to N-cadherin interactions with the placodes and senses the gradient through cell-matrix adhesions, resulting in polarized Rac activity and actomyosin contractility, which coordinates durotaxis. Durotaxis synergizes with chemotaxis, cooperatively polarizing actomyosin machinery of the cell group to prompt efficient directional collective cell migration in vivo. These results show that durotaxis and dynamic stiffness gradients exist in vivo, and gradients of chemical and mechanical signals cooperate to achieve efficient directional cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Shellard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK.
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40
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Martínez GF, Fagetti J, Vierci G, Brauer MM, Unsain N, Richeri A. Extracellular matrix stiffness negatively affects axon elongation, growth cone area and F-actin levels in a collagen type I 3D culture. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2021; 16:151-162. [PMID: 34816618 DOI: 10.1002/term.3269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Three dimensional (3D) in vitro neuronal cultures can better reproduce physiologically relevant phenotypes compared to 2D-cultures, because in vivo neurons reside in a 3D microenvironment. Interest in neuronal 3D cultures is emerging, with special attention to the mechanical forces that regulate axon elongation and sprouting in three dimensions. Type I collagen (Col-I) is a native substrate since it is present in the extracellular matrix and hence emulates an in vivo environment to study axon growth. The impact of its mechanical properties needs to be further investigated. Here, we generated Col-I 3D matrices of different mechanical stiffness and evaluated axon growth in three dimensions. Superior cervical ganglion (SCG) explants from neonatal rats were cultured in soft and stiff Col-I 3D matrices and neurite outgrowth was assessed by measuring: maximum neuritic extent; neuritic halo area and fasciculation. Axonal cytoskeletal proteins were examined. Axon elongation in stiff Col-I 3D matrices was reduced (31%) following 24 h in culture compared to soft matrices. In stiff matrices, neurites fasciculated and formed less dense halos. Consistently, almost no F-actin rich growth cones were recognized, and F-actin staining was strongly reduced in the axonal compartment. This study shows that stiffness negatively affects 3D neurite outgrowth and adds insights on the cytoskeletal responses upon mechanic interactions of axons with a 3D environment. Our data will serve to facilitate the development of model systems that are mechanically well-behaved but still mimic key physiologic properties observed in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaby F Martínez
- Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Biología Celular, Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jimena Fagetti
- Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriela Vierci
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular, Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Mónica Brauer
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular, Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nicolás Unsain
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Analía Richeri
- Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Biología Celular, Departamento de Neurofarmacología Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
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Mechanosensing and the Hippo Pathway in Microglia: A Potential Link to Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis? Cells 2021; 10:cells10113144. [PMID: 34831369 PMCID: PMC8622675 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The activation of microglia, the inflammatory cells of the central nervous system (CNS), has been linked to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. How microglia sense the changing brain environment, in order to respond appropriately, is still being elucidated. Microglia are able to sense and respond to the mechanical properties of their microenvironment, and the physical and molecular pathways underlying this mechanosensing/mechanotransduction in microglia have recently been investigated. The Hippo pathway functions through mechanosensing and subsequent protein kinase cascades, and is critical for neuronal development and many other cellular processes. In this review, we examine evidence for the potential involvement of Hippo pathway components specifically in microglia in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. We suggest that the Hippo pathway is worth investigating as a mechanosensing pathway in microglia, and could be one potential therapeutic target pathway for preventing microglial-induced neurodegeneration in AD.
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Wang DY, Melero C, Albaraky A, Atherton P, Jansen KA, Dimitracopoulos A, Dajas-Bailador F, Reid A, Franze K, Ballestrem C. Vinculin is required for neuronal mechanosensing but not for axon outgrowth. Exp Cell Res 2021; 407:112805. [PMID: 34487728 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Integrin receptors are transmembrane proteins that bind to the extracellular matrix (ECM). In most animal cell types integrins cluster together with adaptor proteins at focal adhesions that sense and respond to external mechanical signals. In the central nervous system (CNS), ECM proteins are sparsely distributed, the tissue is comparatively soft and neurons do not form focal adhesions. Thus, how neurons sense tissue stiffness is currently poorly understood. Here, we found that integrins and the integrin-associated proteins talin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) are required for the outgrowth of neuronal processes. Vinculin, however, whilst not required for neurite outgrowth was a key regulator of integrin-mediated mechanosensing of neurons. During growth, growth cones of axons of CNS derived cells exerted dynamic stresses of around 10-12 Pa on their environment, and axons grew significantly longer on soft (0.4 kPa) compared to stiff (8 kPa) substrates. Depletion of vinculin blocked this ability of growth cones to distinguish between soft and stiff substrates. These data suggest that vinculin in neurons acts as a key mechanosensor, involved in the regulation of growth cone motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Yao Wang
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Cristina Melero
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Ashwaq Albaraky
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Paul Atherton
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK; Blond McIndoe Laboratories, Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre. Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Karin A Jansen
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Andrea Dimitracopoulos
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | | | - Adam Reid
- Blond McIndoe Laboratories, Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre. Manchester, M13 9PT, UK; Department of Plastic Surgery & Nurns, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M23 9LT, UK
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK; Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91052, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph Ballestrem
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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43
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Sen D, Voulgaropoulos A, Keung AJ. Effects of early geometric confinement on the transcriptomic profile of human cerebral organoids. BMC Biotechnol 2021; 21:59. [PMID: 34641840 PMCID: PMC8507123 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-021-00718-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human cerebral organoids (hCO) are attractive systems due to their ability to model important brain regions and transcriptomics of early in vivo brain development. To date, they have been used to understand the effects of genetics and soluble factors on neurodevelopment. Interestingly, one of the main advantages of hCOs are that they provide three dimensionality that better mimics the in vivo environment; yet, despite this central feature it remains unclear how spatial and mechanical properties regulate hCO and neurodevelopment. While biophysical factors such as shape and mechanical forces are known to play crucial roles in stem cell differentiation, embryogenesis and neurodevelopment, much of this work investigated two dimensional systems or relied on correlative observations of native developing tissues in three dimensions. Using hCOs to establish links between spatial factors and neurodevelopment will require the use of new approaches and could reveal fundamental principles of brain organogenesis as well as improve hCOs as an experimental model. Results Here, we investigated the effects of early geometric confinements on transcriptomic changes during hCO differentiation. Using a custom and tunable agarose microwell platform we generated embryoid bodies (EB) of diverse shapes mimicking several structures from embryogenesis and neurodevelopment and then further differentiated those EBs to whole brain hCOs. Our results showed that the microwells did not have negative gross impacts on the ability of the hCOs to differentiate towards neural fates, and there were clear shape dependent effects on neural lineage specification. In particular we observed that non-spherical shapes showed signs of altered neurodevelopmental kinetics and favored the development of medial ganglionic eminence-associated brain regions and cell types over cortical regions. Transcriptomic analysis suggests these mechanotransducive effects may be mediated by integrin and Wnt signaling. Conclusions The findings presented here suggest a role for spatial factors in brain region specification during hCO development. Understanding these spatial patterning factors will not only improve understanding of in vivo development and differentiation, but also provide important handles with which to advance and improve control over human model systems for in vitro applications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-021-00718-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilara Sen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA
| | - Alexis Voulgaropoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA
| | - Albert J Keung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA.
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Bang S, Hwang KS, Jeong S, Cho IJ, Choi N, Kim J, Kim HN. Engineered neural circuits for modeling brain physiology and neuropathology. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:379-400. [PMID: 34157452 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The neural circuits of the central nervous system are the regulatory pathways for feeling, motion control, learning, and memory, and their dysfunction is closely related to various neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the growing demand for the unraveling of the physiology and functional connectivity of the neural circuits, their fundamental investigation is hampered because of the inability to access the components of neural circuits and the complex microenvironment. As an alternative approach, in vitro human neural circuits show principles of in vivo human neuronal circuit function. They allow access to the cellular compartment and permit real-time monitoring of neural circuits. In this review, we summarize recent advances in reconstituted in vitro neural circuits using engineering techniques. To this end, we provide an overview of the fabrication techniques and methods for stimulation and measurement of in vitro neural circuits. Subsequently, representative examples of in vitro neural circuits are reviewed with a particular focus on the recapitulation of structures and functions observed in vivo, and we summarize their application in the study of various brain diseases. We believe that the in vitro neural circuits can help neuroscience and the neuropharmacology. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the growing demand to unravel the physiology and functional connectivity of the neural circuits, the studies on the in vivo neural circuits are frequently limited due to the poor accessibility. Furthermore, single neuron-based analysis has an inherent limitation in that it does not reflect the full spectrum of the neural circuit physiology. As an alternative approach, in vitro engineered neural circuit models have arisen because they can recapitulate the structural and functional characteristics of in vivo neural circuits. These in vitro neural circuits allow the mimicking of dysregulation of the neural circuits, including neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury. Emerging in vitro engineered neural circuits will provide a better understanding of the (patho-)physiology of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokyoung Bang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Seob Hwang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sohyeon Jeong
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Il-Joo Cho
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Yonsei-KIST Convergence Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Nakwon Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jongbaeg Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hong Nam Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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45
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Linka K, Reiter N, Würges J, Schicht M, Bräuer L, Cyron CJ, Paulsen F, Budday S. Unraveling the Local Relation Between Tissue Composition and Human Brain Mechanics Through Machine Learning. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:704738. [PMID: 34485258 PMCID: PMC8415910 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.704738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The regional mechanical properties of brain tissue are not only key in the context of brain injury and its vulnerability towards mechanical loads, but also affect the behavior and functionality of brain cells. Due to the extremely soft nature of brain tissue, its mechanical characterization is challenging. The response to loading depends on length and time scales and is characterized by nonlinearity, compression-tension asymmetry, conditioning, and stress relaxation. In addition, the regional heterogeneity-both in mechanics and microstructure-complicates the comprehensive understanding of local tissue properties and its relation to the underlying microstructure. Here, we combine large-strain biomechanical tests with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and develop an extended type of constitutive artificial neural networks (CANNs) that can account for viscoelastic effects. We show that our viscoelastic constitutive artificial neural network is able to describe the tissue response in different brain regions and quantify the relevance of different cellular and extracellular components for time-independent (nonlinearity, compression-tension-asymmetry) and time-dependent (hysteresis, conditioning, stress relaxation) tissue mechanics, respectively. Our results suggest that the content of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin is highly relevant for both the quasi-elastic behavior and viscoelastic effects of brain tissue. While the quasi-elastic response seems to be largely controlled by extracellular matrix proteins from the basement membrane, cellular components have a higher relevance for the viscoelastic response. Our findings advance our understanding of microstructure - mechanics relations in human brain tissue and are valuable to further advance predictive material models for finite element simulations or to design biomaterials for tissue engineering and 3D printing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Linka
- Institute of Continuum and Material Mechanics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nina Reiter
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department Mechanical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jasmin Würges
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department Mechanical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Schicht
- Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lars Bräuer
- Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian J Cyron
- Institute of Continuum and Material Mechanics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Material Systems Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Friedrich Paulsen
- Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Silvia Budday
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department Mechanical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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46
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Abstract
In this Primer, Sunyer and Trepat introduce durotaxis, the mode of migration by which cells follow gradients of extracellular matrix stiffness.
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47
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Abe K, Baba K, Huang L, Wei KT, Okano K, Hosokawa Y, Inagaki N. Mechanosensitive axon outgrowth mediated by L1-laminin clutch interface. Biophys J 2021; 120:3566-3576. [PMID: 34384760 PMCID: PMC8456307 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical properties of the extracellular environment modulate axon outgrowth. Growth cones at the tip of extending axons generate traction force for axon outgrowth by transmitting the force of actin filament retrograde flow, produced by actomyosin contraction and F-actin polymerization, to adhesive substrates through clutch and cell adhesion molecules. A molecular clutch between the actin filament flow and substrate is proposed to contribute to cellular mechanosensing. However, the molecular identity of the clutch interface responsible for mechanosensitive growth cone advance is unknown. We previously reported that mechanical coupling between actin filament retrograde flow and adhesive substrates through the clutch molecule shootin1a and the cell adhesion molecule L1 generates traction force for axon outgrowth and guidance. Here, we show that cultured mouse hippocampal neurons extend longer axons on stiffer substrates under elastic conditions that correspond to the soft brain environments. We demonstrate that this stiffness-dependent axon outgrowth requires actin-adhesion coupling mediated by shootin1a, L1, and laminin on the substrate. Speckle imaging analyses showed that L1 at the growth cone membrane switches between two adhesive states: L1 that is immobilized and that undergoes retrograde movement on the substrate. The duration of the immobilized phase was longer on stiffer substrates; this was accompanied by increases in actin-adhesion coupling and in the traction force exerted on the substrate. These data suggest that the interaction between L1 and laminin is enhanced on stiffer substrates, thereby promoting force generation for axon outgrowth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouki Abe
- Laboratory of Systems Neurobiology and Medicine, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Kentarou Baba
- Laboratory of Systems Neurobiology and Medicine, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Liguo Huang
- Laboratory of Systems Neurobiology and Medicine, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Koay Teng Wei
- Laboratory of Systems Neurobiology and Medicine, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Kazunori Okano
- Bio-processing Engineering Laboratory, Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Bio-processing Engineering Laboratory, Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Inagaki
- Laboratory of Systems Neurobiology and Medicine, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan.
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Blackley DG, Cooper JH, Pokorska P, Ratheesh A. Mechanics of developmental migration. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:66-74. [PMID: 34275746 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The ability to migrate is a fundamental property of animal cells which is essential for development, homeostasis and disease progression. Migrating cells sense and respond to biochemical and mechanical cues by rapidly modifying their intrinsic repertoire of signalling molecules and by altering their force generating and transducing machinery. We have a wealth of information about the chemical cues and signalling responses that cells use during migration. Our understanding of the role of forces in cell migration is rapidly evolving but is still best understood in the context of cells migrating in 2D and 3D environments in vitro. Advances in live imaging of developing embryos combined with the use of experimental and theoretical tools to quantify and analyse forces in vivo, has begun to shed light on the role of mechanics in driving embryonic cell migration. In this review, we focus on the recent studies uncovering the physical basis of embryonic cell migration in vivo. We look at the physical basis of the classical steps of cell migration such as protrusion formation and cell body translocation and review the recent research on how these processes work in the complex 3D microenvironment of a developing organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deannah G Blackley
- Warwick Medical School and Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Jack H Cooper
- Warwick Medical School and Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Paulina Pokorska
- Warwick Medical School and Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Aparna Ratheesh
- Warwick Medical School and Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
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Narasimhan BN, Horrocks MS, Malmström J. Hydrogels with Tunable Physical Cues and Their Emerging Roles in Studies of Cellular Mechanotransduction. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Badri Narayanan Narasimhan
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland 1142 New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
| | - Matthew S. Horrocks
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland 1142 New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
| | - Jenny Malmström
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland 1142 New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
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Andreu I, Falcones B, Hurst S, Chahare N, Quiroga X, Le Roux AL, Kechagia Z, Beedle AEM, Elosegui-Artola A, Trepat X, Farré R, Betz T, Almendros I, Roca-Cusachs P. The force loading rate drives cell mechanosensing through both reinforcement and cytoskeletal softening. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4229. [PMID: 34244477 PMCID: PMC8270983 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24383-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell response to force regulates essential processes in health and disease. However, the fundamental mechanical variables that cells sense and respond to remain unclear. Here we show that the rate of force application (loading rate) drives mechanosensing, as predicted by a molecular clutch model. By applying dynamic force regimes to cells through substrate stretching, optical tweezers, and atomic force microscopy, we find that increasing loading rates trigger talin-dependent mechanosensing, leading to adhesion growth and reinforcement, and YAP nuclear localization. However, above a given threshold the actin cytoskeleton softens, decreasing loading rates and preventing reinforcement. By stretching rat lungs in vivo, we show that a similar phenomenon may occur. Our results show that cell sensing of external forces and of passive mechanical parameters (like tissue stiffness) can be understood through the same mechanisms, driven by the properties under force of the mechanosensing molecules involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ion Andreu
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sebastian Hurst
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center of Molecular Biology of Inflammation (ZMBE), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nimesh Chahare
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Campus Nord, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xarxa Quiroga
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anabel-Lise Le Roux
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zanetta Kechagia
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amy E M Beedle
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London, UK
| | - Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Farré
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Timo Betz
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center of Molecular Biology of Inflammation (ZMBE), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Isaac Almendros
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Pere Roca-Cusachs
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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