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Mowla A, Hepburn MS, Li J, Vahala D, Amos SE, Hirvonen LM, Sanderson RW, Wijesinghe P, Maher S, Choi YS, Kennedy BF. Multimodal mechano-microscopy reveals mechanical phenotypes of breast cancer spheroids in three dimensions. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:036113. [PMID: 39257700 PMCID: PMC11387014 DOI: 10.1063/5.0213077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell invasion relies on an equilibrium between cell deformability and the biophysical constraints imposed by the extracellular matrix (ECM). However, there is little consensus on the nature of the local biomechanical alterations in cancer cell dissemination in the context of three-dimensional (3D) tumor microenvironments (TMEs). While the shortcomings of two-dimensional (2D) models in replicating in situ cell behavior are well known, 3D TME models remain underutilized because contemporary mechanical quantification tools are limited to surface measurements. Here, we overcome this major challenge by quantifying local mechanics of cancer cell spheroids in 3D TMEs. We achieve this using multimodal mechano-microscopy, integrating optical coherence microscopy-based elasticity imaging with confocal fluorescence microscopy. We observe that non-metastatic cancer spheroids show no invasion while showing increased peripheral cell elasticity in both stiff and soft environments. Metastatic cancer spheroids, however, show ECM-mediated softening in a stiff microenvironment and, in a soft environment, initiate cell invasion with peripheral softening associated with early metastatic dissemination. This exemplar of live-cell 3D mechanotyping supports that invasion increases cell deformability in a 3D context, illustrating the power of multimodal mechano-microscopy for quantitative mechanobiology in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Danielle Vahala
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sebastian E Amos
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Liisa M Hirvonen
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | | | - Philip Wijesinghe
- Centre of Biophotonics, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Maher
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Yu Suk Choi
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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2
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Dickinson RB, Abolghasemzade S, Lele TP. Rethinking nuclear shaping: insights from the nuclear drop model. SOFT MATTER 2024. [PMID: 39105242 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00683f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Changes in the nuclear shape caused by cellular shape changes are generally assumed to reflect an elastic deformation from a spherical nuclear shape. Recent evidence, however, suggests that the nuclear lamina, which forms the outer nuclear surface together with the nuclear envelope, possesses more area than that of a sphere of the same volume. This excess area manifests as folds/wrinkles in the nuclear surface in rounded cells and allows facile nuclear flattening during cell spreading without any changes in nuclear volume or surface area. When the lamina becomes smooth and taut, it is inextensible, and supports a surface tension. At this point, it is possible to mathematically calculate the limiting nuclear shape purely based on geometric considerations. In this paper, we provide a commentary on the "nuclear drop model" which seeks to integrate the above features. We outline its testable physical properties and explore its biological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Dickinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, 1030 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Samere Abolghasemzade
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 101 Bizzell St., College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Tanmay P Lele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 101 Bizzell St., College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2121 W Holcombe St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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3
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Dutta S, Muraganadan T, Vasudevan M. Evaluation of lamin A/C mechanotransduction under different surface topography in LMNA related muscular dystrophy. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 39091017 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21895] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Most of the single point mutations of the LMNA gene are associated with distinct muscular dystrophies, marked by heterogenous phenotypes but primarily the loss and symmetric weakness of skeletal muscle tissue. The molecular mechanism and phenotype-genotype relationships in these muscular dystrophies are poorly understood. An effort has been here to delineating the adaptation of mechanical inputs into biological response by mutant cells of lamin A associated muscular dystrophy. In this study, we implement engineered smooth and pattern surfaces of particular young modulus to mimic muscle physiological range. Using fluorescence and atomic force microscopy, we present distinct architecture of the actin filament along with abnormally distorted cell and nuclear shape in mutants, which showed a tendency to deviate from wild type cells. Topographic features of pattern surface antagonize the binding of the cell with it. Correspondingly, from the analysis of genome wide expression data in wild type and mutant cells, we report differential expression of the gene products of the structural components of cell adhesion as well as LINC (linkers of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) protein complexes. This study also reveals mis expressed downstream signaling processes in mutant cells, which could potentially lead to onset of the disease upon the application of engineered materials to substitute the role of conventional cues in instilling cellular behaviors in muscular dystrophies. Collectively, these data support the notion that lamin A is essential for proper cellular mechanotransduction from extracellular environment to the genome and impairment of the muscle cell differentiation in the pathogenic mechanism for lamin A associated muscular dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subarna Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Theomics International Private Limited, Bengaluru, India
| | - T Muraganadan
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
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4
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Jaganathan A, Toth J, Chen X, Basir R, Pieuchot L, Shen Y, Reinhart-King C, Shenoy VB. Mechano-metabolism of metastatic breast cancer cells in 2D and 3D microenvironments. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591879. [PMID: 38746096 PMCID: PMC11092625 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Cells regulate their shape and metabolic activity in response to the mechano-chemical properties of their microenvironment. To elucidate the impact of matrix stiffness and ligand density on the bioenergetics of mesenchymal cells, we developed a nonequilibrium, active chemo-mechanical model that accounts for the mechanical energy of the cell and matrix, chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis, interfacial energy, and mechano-sensitive regulation of stress fiber assembly through signaling. By integrating the kinetics and energetics of these processes, we define the cell "metabolic potential" that, when minimized, provides testable predictions of cell contractility, shape, and ATP consumption. Specifically, we show that the morphology of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in 3D collagen changes from spherical to elongated to spherical with increasing matrix stiffness, which is consistent with experimental observations. On 2D hydrogels, our model predicts a hemispherical-to-spindle-to-disc shape transition with increasing gel stiffness. In both cases, we show that these shape transitions emerge from competition between the energy of ATP hydrolysis associated with increased contractility that drives cell elongation and the interfacial energy that favors a rounded shape. Furthermore, our model can predict how increased energy demand in stiffer microenvironments is met by AMPK activation, which is confirmed experimentally in both 2D and 3D microenvironments and found to correlate with the upregulation of mitochondrial potential, glucose uptake, and ATP levels, as well as provide estimates of changes in intracellular adenosine nucleotide concentrations with changing environmental stiffness. Overall, we present a framework for relating adherent cell energy levels and contractility through biochemical regulation of underlying physical processes. Statement of Significance Increasing evidence indicates that cellular metabolism is regulated by mechanical cues from the extracellular environment. Forces transmitted from the microenvironment activate mechanotransduction pathways in the cell, which trigger a cascade of biochemical events that impact cytoskeletal tension, cellular morphology and energy budget available to the cell. Using a nonequilibrium free energy-based theory, we can predict the ATP consumption, contractility, and shape of mesenchymal cancer cells, as well as how cells regulate energy levels dependent on the mechanosensitive metabolic regulator AMPK. The insights from our model can be used to understand the mechanosensitive regulation of metabolism during metastasis and tumor progression, during which cells experience dynamic changes in their microenvironment and metabolic state.
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5
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Rashid F, Kabbo SA, Wang N. Mechanomemory of nucleoplasm and RNA polymerase II after chromatin stretching by a microinjected magnetic nanoparticle force. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114462. [PMID: 39002538 PMCID: PMC11289711 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114462] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the mechanics of chromatin and nucleoplasm regulate gene transcription and nuclear function. However, how the chromatin and nucleoplasm sense and respond to forces remains elusive. Here, we employed a strategy of applying forces directly to the chromatin of a cell via a microinjected 200-nm anti-H2B-antibody-coated ferromagnetic nanoparticle (FMNP) and an anti-immunoglobulin G (IgG)-antibody-coated or an uncoated FMNP. The chromatin behaved as a viscoelastic gel-like structure and the nucleoplasm was a softer viscoelastic structure at loading frequencies of 0.1-5 Hz. Protein diffusivity of the chromatin, nucleoplasm, and RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) and RNA Pol II activity were upregulated in a chromatin-stretching-dependent manner and stayed upregulated for tens of minutes after force cessation. Chromatin stiffness increased, but the mechanomemory duration of chromatin diffusivity decreased, with substrate stiffness. These findings may provide a mechanomemory mechanism of transcription upregulation and have implications on cell and nuclear functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazlur Rashid
- The Institute for Mechanobiology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sadia Amin Kabbo
- The Institute for Mechanobiology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- The Institute for Mechanobiology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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6
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Shiraishi T, Sato K. Real-time imaging of intracellular deformation dynamics in vibrated adherent cell cultures. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024. [PMID: 38961714 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28793] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Mechanical vibration has been shown to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of its cellular mechanotransduction remains unclear. Although the measurement of intracellular deformation dynamics under mechanical vibration could reveal more detailed mechanisms, corroborating experimental evidence is lacking due to technical difficulties. In this study, we aimed to propose a real-time imaging method of intracellular structure deformation dynamics in vibrated adherent cell cultures and investigate whether organelles such as actin filaments connected to a nucleus and the nucleus itself show deformation under horizontal mechanical vibration. The proposed real-time imaging was achieved by conducting vibration isolation and making design improvements to the experimental setup; using a high-speed and high-sensitivity camera with a global shutter; and reducing image blur using a stroboscope technique. Using our system, we successfully produced the first experimental report on the existence of the deformation of organelles connected to a nucleus and the nucleus itself under horizontal mechanical vibration. Furthermore, the intracellular deformation difference between HeLa and MC3T3-E1 cells measured under horizontal mechanical vibration agrees with the prediction of their intracellular structure based on the mechanical vibration theory. These results provide new findings about the cellular mechanotransduction mechanism under mechanical vibration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiko Shiraishi
- Division of Artificial Environment and Information, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sato
- Division of Artificial Environment and Information, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
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7
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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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8
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Blade SP, Falkowski DJ, Bachand SN, Pagano SJ, Chin L. Mechanobiology of Adipocytes. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:434. [PMID: 38927314 PMCID: PMC11200640 DOI: 10.3390/biology13060434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The growing obesity epidemic necessitates increased research on adipocyte and adipose tissue function and disease mechanisms that progress obesity. Historically, adipocytes were viewed simply as storage for excess energy. However, recent studies have demonstrated that adipocytes play a critical role in whole-body homeostasis, are involved in cell communication, experience forces in vivo, and respond to mechanical stimuli. Changes to the adipocyte mechanical microenvironment can affect function and, in some cases, contribute to disease. The aim of this review is to summarize the current literature on the mechanobiology of adipocytes. We reviewed over 100 papers on how mechanical stress is sensed by the adipocyte, the effects on cell behavior, and the use of cell culture scaffolds, particularly those with tunable stiffness, to study adipocyte behavior, adipose cell and tissue mechanical properties, and computational models. From our review, we conclude that adipocytes are responsive to mechanical stimuli, cell function and adipogenesis can be dictated by the mechanical environment, the measurement of mechanical properties is highly dependent on testing methods, and current modeling practices use many different approaches to recapitulate the complex behavior of adipocytes and adipose tissue. This review is intended to aid future studies by summarizing the current literature on adipocyte mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P. Blade
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA; (S.P.B.); (D.J.F.); (S.N.B.)
| | - Dylan J. Falkowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA; (S.P.B.); (D.J.F.); (S.N.B.)
| | - Sarah N. Bachand
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA; (S.P.B.); (D.J.F.); (S.N.B.)
| | - Steven J. Pagano
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA;
| | - LiKang Chin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA; (S.P.B.); (D.J.F.); (S.N.B.)
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9
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Combriat T, Olsen PA, Låstad SB, Malthe-Sørenssen A, Krauss S, Dysthe DK. Acoustic Wave-Induced Stroboscopic Optical Mechanotyping of Adherent Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307929. [PMID: 38417124 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307929] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
In this study, a novel, high content technique using a cylindrical acoustic transducer, stroboscopic fast imaging, and homodyne detection to recover the mechanical properties (dynamic shear modulus) of living adherent cells at low ultrasonic frequencies is presented. By analyzing the micro-oscillations of cells, whole populations are simultaneously mechanotyped with sub-cellular resolution. The technique can be combined with standard fluorescence imaging allowing to further cross-correlate biological and mechanical information. The potential of the technique is demonstrated by mechanotyping co-cultures of different cell types with significantly different mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Combriat
- Njord Centre, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub, University of Oslo, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences P.O. Box 1110 Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway
- Center for Computing in Science Education, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Petter Angell Olsen
- Hybrid Technology Hub, University of Oslo, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences P.O. Box 1110 Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, P.O. Box 4950, Nydalen, Oslo, 0424, Norway
| | - Silja Borring Låstad
- Njord Centre, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Anders Malthe-Sørenssen
- Njord Centre, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
- Center for Computing in Science Education, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Stefan Krauss
- Hybrid Technology Hub, University of Oslo, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences P.O. Box 1110 Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, P.O. Box 4950, Nydalen, Oslo, 0424, Norway
| | - Dag Kristian Dysthe
- Njord Centre, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
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10
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Davis RB, Supakar A, Ranganath AK, Moosa MM, Banerjee PR. Heterotypic interactions can drive selective co-condensation of prion-like low-complexity domains of FET proteins and mammalian SWI/SNF complex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1168. [PMID: 38326345 PMCID: PMC10850361 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44945-5] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion-like domains (PLDs) are low-complexity protein sequences enriched within nucleic acid-binding proteins including those involved in transcription and RNA processing. PLDs of FUS and EWSR1 play key roles in recruiting chromatin remodeler mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF) complex to oncogenic FET fusion protein condensates. Here, we show that disordered low-complexity domains of multiple SWI/SNF subunits are prion-like with a strong propensity to undergo intracellular phase separation. These PLDs engage in sequence-specific heterotypic interactions with the PLD of FUS in the dilute phase at sub-saturation conditions, leading to the formation of PLD co-condensates. In the dense phase, homotypic and heterotypic PLD interactions are highly cooperative, resulting in the co-mixing of individual PLD phases and forming spatially homogeneous condensates. Heterotypic PLD-mediated positive cooperativity in protein-protein interaction networks is likely to play key roles in the co-phase separation of mSWI/SNF complex with transcription factors containing homologous low-complexity domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richoo B Davis
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Anushka Supakar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | | | | | - Priya R Banerjee
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
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11
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Mistriotis P, Wisniewski EO, Si BR, Kalab P, Konstantopoulos K. Coordinated in confined migration: crosstalk between the nucleus and ion channel-mediated mechanosensation. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00001-1. [PMID: 38290913 PMCID: PMC11284253 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.001] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Cell surface and intracellular mechanosensors enable cells to perceive different geometric, topographical, and physical cues. Mechanosensitive ion channels (MICs) localized at the cell surface and on the nuclear envelope (NE) are among the first to sense and transduce these signals. Beyond compartmentalizing the genome of the cell and its transcription, the nucleus also serves as a mechanical gauge of different physical and topographical features of the tissue microenvironment. In this review, we delve into the intricate mechanisms by which the nucleus and different ion channels regulate cell migration in confinement. We review evidence suggesting an interplay between macromolecular nuclear-cytoplasmic transport (NCT) and ionic transport across the cell membrane during confined migration. We also discuss the roles of the nucleus and ion channel-mediated mechanosensation, whether acting independently or in tandem, in orchestrating migratory mechanoresponses. Understanding nuclear and ion channel sensing, and their crosstalk, is critical to advancing our knowledge of cell migration in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily O Wisniewski
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Bishwa R Si
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Petr Kalab
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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12
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Emon B, Joy MSH, Lalonde L, Ghrayeb A, Doha U, Ladehoff L, Brockstein R, Saengow C, Ewoldt RH, Saif MTA. Nuclear deformation regulates YAP dynamics in cancer associated fibroblasts. Acta Biomater 2024; 173:93-108. [PMID: 37977292 PMCID: PMC10848212 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.11.015] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Cells cultured on stiff 2D substrates exert high intracellular force, resulting in mechanical deformation of their nuclei. This nuclear deformation (ND) plays a crucial role in the transport of Yes Associated Protein (YAP) from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. However, cells in vivo are in soft 3D environment with potentially much lower intracellular forces. Whether and how cells may deform their nuclei in 3D for YAP localization remains unclear. Here, by culturing human colon cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on 2D, 2.5D, and 3D substrates, we differentiated the effects of stiffness, force, and ND on YAP localization. We found that nuclear translocation of YAP depends on the degree of ND irrespective of dimensionality, stiffness and total force. ND induced by the perinuclear force, not the total force, and nuclear membrane curvature correlate strongly with YAP activation. Immunostained slices of human tumors further supported the association between ND and YAP nuclear localization, suggesting ND as a potential biomarker for YAP activation in tumors. Additionally, we conducted quantitative analysis of the force dynamics of CAFs on 2D substrates to construct a stochastic model of YAP kinetics. This model revealed that the probability of YAP nuclear translocation, as well as the residence time in the nucleus follow a power law. This study provides valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms governing YAP dynamics and highlights the significance of threshold activation in YAP localization. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Yes Associated Protein (YAP), a transcription cofactor, has been identified as one of the drivers of cancer progression. High tumor stiffness is attributed to driving YAP to the nucleus, wherein it activates pro-metastatic genes. Here we show, using cancer associated fibroblasts, that YAP translocation to the nucleus depends on the degree of nuclear deformation, irrespective of stiffness. We also identified that perinuclear force induced membrane curvature correlates strongly with YAP nuclear transport. A novel stochastic model of YAP kinetics unveiled a power law relationship between the activation threshold and persistence time of YAP in the nucleus. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms governing YAP dynamics and the probability of activation that is of immense clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chaimongkol Saengow
- Mechanical Science & Engineering; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Randy H Ewoldt
- Mechanical Science & Engineering; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - M Taher A Saif
- Mechanical Science & Engineering; Bioengineering; Cancer Center at Illinois.
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13
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Saiki T, Shimada K, Ishijima A, Song H, Qi X, Okamoto Y, Mizushima A, Mita Y, Hosobata T, Takeda M, Morita S, Kushibiki K, Ozaki S, Motohara K, Yamagata Y, Tsukamoto A, Kannari F, Sakuma I, Inada Y, Nakagawa K. Single-shot optical imaging with spectrum circuit bridging timescales in high-speed photography. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj8608. [PMID: 38117881 PMCID: PMC10732534 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj8608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Single-shot optical imaging based on ultrashort lasers has revealed nonrepetitive processes in subnanosecond timescales beyond the recording range of conventional high-speed cameras. However, nanosecond photography without sacrificing short exposure time and image quality is still missing because of the gap in recordable timescales between ultrafast optical imaging and high-speed electronic cameras. Here, we demonstrate nanosecond photography and ultrawide time-range high-speed photography using a spectrum circuit that produces interval-tunable pulse trains while keeping short pulse durations. We capture a shock wave propagating through a biological cell with a 1.5-ns frame interval and 44-ps exposure time while suppressing image blur. Furthermore, we observe femtosecond laser processing over multiple timescales (25-ps, 2.0-ns, and 1-ms frame intervals), showing that the plasma generated at the picosecond timescale affects subsequent shock wave formation at the nanosecond timescale. Our technique contributes to accumulating data of various fast processes for analysis and to analyzing multi-timescale phenomena as a series of physical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Saiki
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Keitaro Shimada
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Ayumu Ishijima
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- Medical Device Development and Regulation Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Hang Song
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Xinyi Qi
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yuki Okamoto
- Sensing System Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8564, Japan
| | - Ayako Mizushima
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yoshio Mita
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takuya Hosobata
- RIKEN Centre for Advanced Photonics (RAP), RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takeda
- RIKEN Centre for Advanced Photonics (RAP), RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shinya Morita
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Tokyo 120-8551, Japan
| | - Kosuke Kushibiki
- Institute of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
| | - Shinobu Ozaki
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - Kentaro Motohara
- Institute of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yamagata
- RIKEN Centre for Advanced Photonics (RAP), RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akira Tsukamoto
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy of Japan, Kanagawa 239-8686, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Kannari
- Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Ichiro Sakuma
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- Medical Device Development and Regulation Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yuki Inada
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- Electronics and Information Sciences, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Keiichi Nakagawa
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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14
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Kim D, Kim DH. Subcellular mechano-regulation of cell migration in confined extracellular microenvironment. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:041305. [PMID: 38505424 PMCID: PMC10903498 DOI: 10.1063/5.0185377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Cell migration is a highly coordinated cellular event that determines diverse physiological and pathological processes in which the continuous interaction of a migrating cell with neighboring cells or the extracellular matrix is regulated by the physical setting of the extracellular microenvironment. In confined spaces, cell migration occurs differently compared to unconfined open spaces owing to the additional forces that limit cell motility, which create a driving bias for cells to invade the confined space, resulting in a distinct cell motility process compared to what is expected in open spaces. Moreover, cells in confined environments can be subjected to elevated mechanical compression, which causes physical stimuli and activates the damage repair cycle in the cell, including the DNA in the nucleus. Although cells have a self-restoring system to repair damage from the cell membrane to the genetic components of the nucleus, this process may result in genetic and/or epigenetic alterations that can increase the risk of the progression of diverse diseases, such as cancer and immune disorders. Furthermore, there has been a shift in the paradigm of bioengineering from the development of new biomaterials to controlling biophysical cues and fine-tuning cell behaviors to cure damaged/diseased tissues. The external physical cues perceived by cells are transduced along the mechanosensitive machinery, which is further channeled into the nucleus through subcellular molecular linkages of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton or the biochemical translocation of transcription factors. Thus, external cues can directly or indirectly regulate genetic transcriptional processes and nuclear mechanics, ultimately determining cell fate. In this review, we discuss the importance of the biophysical cues, response mechanisms, and mechanical models of cell migration in confined environments. We also discuss the effect of force-dependent deformation of subcellular components, specifically focusing on subnuclear organelles, such as nuclear membranes and chromosomal organization. This review will provide a biophysical perspective on cancer progression and metastasis as well as abnormal cellular proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daesan Kim
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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15
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Mohseni M, Vahidi B, Azizi H. Computational simulation of applying mechanical vibration to mesenchymal stem cell for mechanical modulation toward bone tissue engineering. Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2023; 237:1377-1389. [PMID: 37982187 DOI: 10.1177/09544119231208223] [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: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of cell response to mechanical stimuli at in vitro conditions is known as one of the important issues for modulating cell behavior. Mechanical stimuli, including mechanical vibration and oscillatory fluid flow, act as important biophysical signals for the mechanical modulation of stem cells. In the present study, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) consists of cytoplasm, nucleus, actin, and microtubule. Also, integrin and primary cilium were considered as mechanoreceptors. In this study, the combined effect of vibration and oscillatory fluid flow on the cell and its components were investigated using numerical modeling. The results of the FEM and FSI model showed that the cell response (stress and strain values) at the frequency of 30 H z mechanical vibration has the highest value. The achieved results on shear stress caused by the fluid flow on the cell showed that the cell experiences shear stress in the range of 0 . 1 - 10 Pa . Mechanoreceptors that bind separately to the cell surface, can be highly stimulated by hydrodynamic pressure and, therefore, can play a role in the mechanical modulation of MSCs at in vitro conditions. The results of this research can be effective in future studies to optimize the conditions of mechanical stimuli applied to the cell culture medium and to determine the mechanisms involved in mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Mohseni
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahman Vahidi
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Azizi
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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16
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Wang Z, Servio P, Rey AD. Geometry-structure models for liquid crystal interfaces, drops and membranes: wrinkling, shape selection and dissipative shape evolution. SOFT MATTER 2023. [PMID: 38031449 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01164j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
We review our recent contributions to anisotropic soft matter models for liquid crystal interfaces, drops and membranes, emphasizing validations with experimental and biological data, and with related theory and simulation literature. The presentation aims to illustrate and characterize the rich output and future opportunities of using a methodology based on the liquid crystal-membrane shape equation applied to static and dynamic pattern formation phenomena. The geometry of static and kinetic shapes is usually described with dimensional curvatures that co-mingle shape and curvedness. In this review, we systematically show how the application of a novel decoupled shape-curvedness framework to practical and ubiquitous soft matter phenomena, such as the shape of drops and tactoids and bending of evolving membranes, leads to deeper quantitative insights than when using traditional dimensional mean and Gaussian curvatures. The review focuses only on (1) statics of wrinkling and shape selection in liquid crystal interfaces and membranes; (2) kinetics and dissipative dynamics of shape evolution in membranes; and (3) computational methods for shape selection and shape evolution; due to various limitations other important topics are excluded. Finally, the outlook follows a similar structure. The main results include: (1) single and multiple wavelength corrugations in liquid crystal interfaces appear naturally in the presence of surface splay and bend orientation distortions with scaling laws governed by ratios of anchoring-to-isotropic tension energy; adding membrane elasticity to liquid crystal anchoring generates multiple scales wrinkling as in tulips; drops of liquid crystals encapsulates in membranes can adopt, according to the ratios of anchoring/tension/bending, families of shapes as multilobal, tactoidal, and serrated as observed in biological cells. (2) Mapping the liquid crystal director to a membrane unit normal. The dissipative shape evolution model with irreversible thermodynamics for flows dominated by bending rates, yields new insights. The model explains the kinetic stability of cylinders, while spheres and saddles are attractors. The model also adds to the evolving understanding of outer hair cells in the inner ear. (3) Computational soft matter geometry includes solving shape equations, trajectories on energy and orientation landscapes, and shape-curvedness evolutions on entropy production landscape with efficient numerical methods and adaptive approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B2, Canada.
| | - Phillip Servio
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B2, Canada.
| | - Alejandro D Rey
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B2, Canada.
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17
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Davis RB, Supakar A, Ranganath AK, Moosa MM, Banerjee PR. Heterotypic interactions in the dilute phase can drive co-condensation of prion-like low-complexity domains of FET proteins and mammalian SWI/SNF complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.12.536623. [PMID: 37090622 PMCID: PMC10120661 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Prion-like domains (PLDs) are low-complexity protein sequences enriched within nucleic acid-binding proteins including those involved in transcription and RNA processing. PLDs of FUS and EWSR1 play key roles in recruiting chromatin remodeler mammalian SWI/SNF complex to oncogenic FET fusion protein condensates. Here, we show that disordered low-complexity domains of multiple SWI/SNF subunits are prion-like with a strong propensity to undergo intracellular phase separation. These PLDs engage in sequence-specific heterotypic interactions with the PLD of FUS in the dilute phase at sub-saturation conditions, leading to the formation of PLD co-condensates. In the dense phase, homotypic and heterotypic PLD interactions are highly cooperative, resulting in the co-mixing of individual PLD phases and forming spatially homogeneous co-condensates. Heterotypic PLD-mediated positive cooperativity in protein-protein interaction networks is likely to play key roles in the co-phase separation of mSWI/SNF complex with transcription factors containing homologous low-complexity domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richoo B. Davis
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
| | - Anushka Supakar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
| | | | | | - Priya R. Banerjee
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
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18
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Buxboim A, Kronenberg-Tenga R, Salajkova S, Avidan N, Shahak H, Thurston A, Medalia O. Scaffold, mechanics and functions of nuclear lamins. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2791-2805. [PMID: 37813648 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14750] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear lamins are type-V intermediate filaments that are involved in many nuclear processes. In mammals, A- and B-type lamins assemble into separate physical meshwork underneath the inner nuclear membrane, the nuclear lamina, with some residual fraction localized within the nucleoplasm. Lamins are the major part of the nucleoskeleton, providing mechanical strength and flexibility to protect the genome and allow nuclear deformability, while also contributing to gene regulation via interactions with chromatin. While lamins are the evolutionary ancestors of all intermediate filament family proteins, their ultimate filamentous assembly is markedly different from their cytoplasmic counterparts. Interestingly, hundreds of genetic mutations in the lamina proteins have been causally linked with a broad range of human pathologies, termed laminopathies. These include muscular, neurological and metabolic disorders, as well as premature aging diseases. Recent technological advances have contributed to resolving the filamentous structure of lamins and the corresponding lamina organization. In this review, we revisit the multiscale lamin organization and discuss its implications on nuclear mechanics and chromatin organization within lamina-associated domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amnon Buxboim
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Sarka Salajkova
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nili Avidan
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hen Shahak
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alice Thurston
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Qi X, Ma S, Jiang X, Wu H, Zheng J, Wang S, Han K, Zhang T, Gao J, Li X. Single-cell characterization of deformation and dynamics of mesenchymal stem cells in microfluidic systems: A computational study. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:054402. [PMID: 38115453 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.054402] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the homing dynamics of individual mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in physiologically relevant microenvironments is crucial for improving the efficacy of MSC-based therapies for therapeutic and targeting purposes. This study investigates the passive homing behavior of individual MSCs in micropores that mimic interendothelial clefts through predictive computational simulations informed by previous microfluidic experiments. Initially, we quantified the size-dependent behavior of MSCs in micropores and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, we analyzed the shape deformation and traversal dynamics of each MSC. In addition, we conducted a systematic investigation to understand how the mechanical properties of MSCs impact their traversal process. We considered geometric and mechanical parameters, such as reduced cell volume, cell-to-nucleus diameter ratio, and cytoskeletal prestress states. Furthermore, we quantified the changes in the MSC traversal process and identified the quantitative limits in their response to variations in micropore length. Taken together, the computational results indicate the complex dynamic behavior of individual MSCs in the confined microflow. This finding offers an objective way to evaluate the homing ability of MSCs in an interendothelial-slit-like microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Qi
- Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for X-Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Shuhao Ma
- Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for X-Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xinchi Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Honghui Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Juanjuan Zheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for X-Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Keqin Han
- Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for X-Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Tianyuan Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jianqing Gao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xuejin Li
- Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for X-Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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20
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Jebane C, Varlet AA, Karnat M, Hernandez- Cedillo LM, Lecchi A, Bedu F, Desgrouas C, Vigouroux C, Vantyghem MC, Viallat A, Rupprecht JF, Helfer E, Badens C. Enhanced cell viscosity: A new phenotype associated with lamin A/C alterations. iScience 2023; 26:107714. [PMID: 37701573 PMCID: PMC10494210 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lamin A/C is a well-established key contributor to nuclear stiffness and its role in nucleus mechanical properties has been extensively studied. However, its impact on whole-cell mechanics has been poorly addressed, particularly concerning measurable physical parameters. In this study, we combined microfluidic experiments with theoretical analyses to quantitatively estimate the whole-cell mechanical properties. This allowed us to characterize the mechanical changes induced in cells by lamin A/C alterations and prelamin A accumulation resulting from atazanavir treatment or lipodystrophy-associated LMNA R482W pathogenic variant. Our results reveal a distinctive increase in long-time viscosity as a signature of cells affected by lamin A/C alterations. Furthermore, they show that the whole-cell response to mechanical stress is driven not only by the nucleus but also by the nucleo-cytoskeleton links and the microtubule network. The enhanced cell viscosity assessed with our microfluidic assay could serve as a valuable diagnosis marker for lamin-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Jebane
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CINAM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | | | - Marc Karnat
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, CPT, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Corinne Vigouroux
- Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Saint-Antoine Hospital, National Reference Centre for Rares diseases of Insulin-Secretion and Insulin-Sensitivity (PRISIS), Department of Endocrinology, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, Saint-Antoine Research Centre, Inserm UMR_S938, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Christine Vantyghem
- Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism Department, Inserm U1190, EGID, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France
| | - Annie Viallat
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CINAM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-François Rupprecht
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, CPT, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Emmanuèle Helfer
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CINAM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Catherine Badens
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, Marseille, France
- AP-HM, Laboratoire de Biochimie, Marseille, France
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21
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Negri ML, D'Annunzio S, Vitali G, Zippo A. May the force be with you: Nuclear condensates function beyond transcription control: Potential nongenetic functions of nuclear condensates in physiological and pathological conditions. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300075. [PMID: 37530178 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300075] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, research has revealed biomolecular condensates' relevance in diverse cellular functions. Through a phase separation process, they concentrate macromolecules in subcompartments shaping the cellular organization and physiology. In the nucleus, biomolecular condensates assemble relevant biomolecules that orchestrate gene expression. We here hypothesize that chromatin condensates can also modulate the nongenetic functions of the genome, including the nuclear mechanical properties. The importance of chromatin condensates is supported by the genetic evidence indicating that mutations in their members are causative of a group of rare Mendelian diseases named chromatinopathies (CPs). Despite a broad spectrum of clinical features and the perturbations of the epigenetic machinery characterizing the CPs, recent findings highlighted negligible changes in gene expression. These data argue in favor of possible noncanonical functions of chromatin condensates in regulating the genome's spatial organization and, consequently, the nuclear mechanics. In this review, we discuss how condensates may impact nuclear mechanical properties, thus affecting the cellular response to mechanical cues and, eventually, cell fate and identity. Chromatin condensates organize macromolecules in the nucleus orchestrating the transcription regulation and mutations in their members are responsible for rare diseases named chromatinopathies. We argue that chromatin condensates, in concert with the nuclear lamina, may also govern the nuclear mechanical properties affecting the cellular response to external cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luce Negri
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Sarah D'Annunzio
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giulia Vitali
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessio Zippo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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22
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Esposito M, Astolfo A, Cipiccia S, Jones CM, Savvidis S, Ferrara JD, Endrizzi M, Dudhia J, Olivo A. Technical note: Cartilage imaging with sub-cellular resolution using a laboratory-based phase-contrast x-ray microscope. Med Phys 2023; 50:6130-6136. [PMID: 37431640 PMCID: PMC10947188 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16599] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microscopic imaging of cartilage is a key tool for the study and development of treatments for osteoarthritis. When cellular and sub-cellular resolution is required, histology remains the gold standard approach, albeit limited by the lack of volumetric information as well as by processing artifacts. Cartilage imaging with the sub-cellular resolution has only been demonstrated in the synchrotron environment. PURPOSE To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the capability of a laboratory-based x-ray phase-contrast microscope to resolve sub-cellular features in a cartilage sample. METHODS This work is based on a laboratory-based x-ray microscope using intensity-modulation masks. The structured nature of the beam, resulting from the mask apertures, allows the retrieval of three contrast channels, namely, transmission, refraction and dark-field, with resolution depending only on the mask aperture width. An ex vivo equine cartilage sample was imaged with the x-ray microscope and results were validated with synchrotron tomography and histology. RESULTS Individual chondrocytes, that is, cells responsible for cartilage formation, could be detected with the laboratory-based microscope. The complementarity of the three retrieved contrast channels allowed the detection of sub-cellular features in the chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first proof-of-concept of imaging cartilage tissue with sub-cellular resolution using a laboratory-based x-ray microscope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Esposito
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Alberto Astolfo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Silvia Cipiccia
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Diamond Light SourceHarwell Science and Innovation CampusDidcotUK
| | | | - Savvas Savvidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Marco Endrizzi
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Alessandro Olivo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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23
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Pouikli A, Frezza C. Metabolic control of antitumor immunity. Science 2023; 381:1287-1288. [PMID: 37733861 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk1785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolite reduces melanoma growth by boosting antigen presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andromachi Pouikli
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Frezza
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD, Institute of Genetics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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24
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Jiao Y, Zeng C, Luo Y. Roughness induced current reversal in fractional hydrodynamic memory. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2023; 33:093140. [PMID: 37748483 DOI: 10.1063/5.0164625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The existence of a corrugated surface is of great importance and ubiquity in biological systems, exhibiting diverse dynamic behaviors. However, it has remained unclear whether such rough surface leads to the current reversal in fractional hydrodynamic memory. We investigate the transport of a particle within a rough potential under external forces in a subdiffusive media with fractional hydrodynamic memory. The results demonstrate that roughness induces current reversal and a transition from no transport to transport. These phenomena are analyzed through the subdiffusion, Peclet number, useful work, input power, and thermodynamic efficiency. The analysis reveals that transport results from energy conversion, wherein time-dependent periodic force is partially converted into mechanical energy to drive transport against load, and partially dissipated through environmental absorption. In addition, the findings indicate that the size and shape of ratchet tune the occurrence and disappearance of the current reversal, and control the number of times of the current reversal occurring. Furthermore, we find that temperature, friction, and load tune transport, resonant-like activity, and enhanced stability of the system, as evidenced by thermodynamic efficiency. These findings may have implications for understanding dynamics in biological systems and may be relevant for applications involving molecular devices for particle separation at the mesoscopic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Jiao
- Faculty of Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Chunhua Zeng
- Faculty of Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuhui Luo
- School of Physics and Information Engineering, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong 657000, China
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25
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Gautam D, Srivastava A, Chowdhury R, Laskar IR, Rao VKP, Mukherjee S. Mechanical microscopy of cancer cells: TGF-β induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition corresponds to low intracellular viscosity in cancer cells. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:1787-1799. [PMID: 37725520 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Viscosity is an essential parameter that regulates bio-molecular reaction rates of diffusion-driven cellular processes. Hence, abnormal viscosity levels are often associated with various diseases and malfunctions like cancer. For this reason, monitoring intracellular viscosity becomes vital. While several approaches have been developed for in vitro and in vivo measurement of viscosity, analysis of intracellular viscosity in live cells has not yet been well realized. Our research introduces a novel, natural frequency-based, non-invasive method to determine the intracellular viscosity in cells. This method can not only efficiently analyze the differences in intracellular viscosity post modulation with molecules like PEG or glucose but is sensitive enough to distinguish the difference in intra-cellular viscosity among various cancer cell lines such as Huh-7, MCF-7, and MDAMB-231. Interestingly, TGF-β a cytokine reported to induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a feature associated with cancer invasiveness resulted in reduced viscosity of cancer cells, as captured through our method. To corroborate our findings with existing methods of analysis, we analyzed intra-cellular viscosity with a previously described viscosity-sensitive molecular rotor-based fluorophore-TPSII. In parity with our position sensing device (PSD)-based approach, an increase in fluorescence intensity was observed with viscosity enhancers, while, TGF-β exposure resulted in its reduction in the cells studied. This is the first study of its kind that attempts to characterize differences in intracellular viscosity using a novel, non-invasive PSD-based method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diplesh Gautam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
| | - Abhilasha Srivastava
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
| | - Rajdeep Chowdhury
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
| | - Inamur R Laskar
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
| | - Venkatesh K P Rao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
| | - Sudeshna Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333 031, India
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26
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López-Guajardo A, Zafar A, Al Hennawi K, Rossi V, Alrwaili A, Medcalf JD, Dunning M, Nordgren N, Pettersson T, Estabrook ID, Hawkins RJ, Gad AKB. Regulation of cellular contractile force, shape and migration of fibroblasts by oncogenes and Histone deacetylase 6. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1197814. [PMID: 37564130 PMCID: PMC10411354 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1197814] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity of cells to adhere to, exert forces upon and migrate through their surrounding environment governs tissue regeneration and cancer metastasis. The role of the physical contractile forces that cells exert in this process, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We, therefore, aimed to clarify if the extracellular forces that cells exert on their environment and/or the intracellular forces that deform the cell nucleus, and the link between these forces, are defective in transformed and invasive fibroblasts, and to indicate the underlying molecular mechanism of control. Confocal, Epifluorescence and Traction force microscopy, followed by computational analysis, showed an increased maximum contractile force that cells apply on their environment and a decreased intracellular force on the cell nucleus in the invasive fibroblasts, as compared to normal control cells. Loss of HDAC6 activity by tubacin-treatment and siRNA-mediated HDAC6 knockdown also reversed the reduced size and more circular shape and defective migration of the transformed and invasive cells to normal. However, only tubacin-mediated, and not siRNA knockdown reversed the increased force of the invasive cells on their surrounding environment to normal, with no effects on nuclear forces. We observed that the forces on the environment and the nucleus were weakly positively correlated, with the exception of HDAC6 siRNA-treated cells, in which the correlation was weakly negative. The transformed and invasive fibroblasts showed an increased number and smaller cell-matrix adhesions than control, and neither tubacin-treatment, nor HDAC6 knockdown reversed this phenotype to normal, but instead increased it further. This highlights the possibility that the control of contractile force requires separate functions of HDAC6, than the control of cell adhesions, spreading and shape. These data are consistent with the possibility that defective force-transduction from the extracellular environment to the nucleus contributes to metastasis, via a mechanism that depends upon HDAC6. To our knowledge, our findings present the first correlation between the cellular forces that deforms the surrounding environment and the nucleus in fibroblasts, and it expands our understanding of how cells generate contractile forces that contribute to cell invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana López-Guajardo
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Azeer Zafar
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Khairat Al Hennawi
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Valentina Rossi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Abdulaziz Alrwaili
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica D. Medcalf
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Dunning
- Bioinformatics Core, The Medical School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Niklas Nordgren
- Division Bioeconomy and Health, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn Pettersson
- Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ian D. Estabrook
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rhoda J. Hawkins
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Accra, Ghana
| | - Annica K. B. Gad
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Madeira Chemistry Research Centre, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Pettenuzzo S, Arduino A, Belluzzi E, Pozzuoli A, Fontanella CG, Ruggieri P, Salomoni V, Majorana C, Berardo A. Biomechanics of Chondrocytes and Chondrons in Healthy Conditions and Osteoarthritis: A Review of the Mechanical Characterisations at the Microscale. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1942. [PMID: 37509581 PMCID: PMC10377681 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomechanical studies are expanding across a variety of fields, from biomedicine to biomedical engineering. From the molecular to the system level, mechanical stimuli are crucial regulators of the development of organs and tissues, their growth and related processes such as remodelling, regeneration or disease. When dealing with cell mechanics, various experimental techniques have been developed to analyse the passive response of cells; however, cell variability and the extraction process, complex experimental procedures and different models and assumptions may affect the resulting mechanical properties. For these purposes, this review was aimed at collecting the available literature focused on experimental chondrocyte and chondron biomechanics with direct connection to their biochemical functions and activities, in order to point out important information regarding the planning of an experimental test or a comparison with the available results. In particular, this review highlighted (i) the most common experimental techniques used, (ii) the results and models adopted by different authors, (iii) a critical perspective on features that could affect the results and finally (iv) the quantification of structural and mechanical changes due to a degenerative pathology such as osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Pettenuzzo
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Arduino
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elisa Belluzzi
- Musculoskeletal Pathology and Oncology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova (DiSCOG), Via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova (DiSCOG), 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Assunta Pozzuoli
- Musculoskeletal Pathology and Oncology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova (DiSCOG), Via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova (DiSCOG), 35128 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Pietro Ruggieri
- Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova (DiSCOG), 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Salomoni
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department of Management and Engineering (DTG), Stradella S. Nicola 3, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Carmelo Majorana
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alice Berardo
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
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28
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Dickinson RB, Lele TP. Nuclear shapes are geometrically determined by the excess surface area of the nuclear lamina. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1058727. [PMID: 37397244 PMCID: PMC10308086 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1058727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Nuclei have characteristic shapes dependent on cell type, which are critical for proper cell function, and nuclei lose their distinct shapes in multiple diseases including cancer, laminopathies, and progeria. Nuclear shapes result from deformations of the sub-nuclear components-nuclear lamina and chromatin. How these structures respond to cytoskeletal forces to form the nuclear shape remains unresolved. Although the mechanisms regulating nuclear shape in human tissues are not fully understood, it is known that different nuclear shapes arise from cumulative nuclear deformations post-mitosis, ranging from the rounded morphologies that develop immediately after mitosis to the various nuclear shapes that roughly correspond to cell shape (e.g., elongated nuclei in elongated cells, flat nuclei in flat cells). Methods: We formulated a mathematical model to predict nuclear shapes of cells in various contexts under the geometric constraints of fixed cell volume, nuclear volume and lamina surface area. Nuclear shapes were predicted and compared to experiments for cells in various geometries, including isolated on a flat surface, on patterned rectangles and lines, within a monolayer, isolated in a well, or when the nucleus is impinging against a slender obstacle. Results and Discussion: The close agreement between predicted and experimental shapes demonstrates a simple geometric principle of nuclear shaping: the excess surface area of the nuclear lamina (relative to that of a sphere of the same volume) permits a wide range of highly deformed nuclear shapes under the constraints of constant surface area and constant volume. When the lamina is smooth (tensed), the nuclear shape can be predicted entirely from these geometric constraints alone for a given cell shape. This principle explains why flattened nuclear shapes in fully spread cells are insensitive to the magnitude of the cytoskeletal forces. Also, the surface tension in the nuclear lamina and nuclear pressure can be estimated from the predicted cell and nuclear shapes when the cell cortical tension is known, and the predictions are consistent with measured forces. These results show that excess surface area of the nuclear lamina is the key determinant of nuclear shapes. When the lamina is smooth (tensed), the nuclear shape can be determined purely by the geometric constraints of constant (but excess) nuclear surface area, nuclear volume, and cell volume, for a given cell adhesion footprint, independent of the magnitude of the cytoskeletal forces involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Dickinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Tanmay P. Lele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University College Station, College Station, TX, United States
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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29
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Serpelloni M, Arricca M, Ravelli C, Grillo E, Mitola S, Salvadori A. Mechanobiology of the relocation of proteins in advecting cells: in vitro experiments, multi-physics modeling, and simulations. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2023:10.1007/s10237-023-01717-2. [PMID: 37067608 PMCID: PMC10366044 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01717-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Cell motility-a cellular behavior of paramount relevance in embryonic development, immunological response, metastasis, or angiogenesis-demands a mechanical deformation of the cell membrane and influences the surface motion of molecules and their biochemical interactions. In this work, we develop a fully coupled multi-physics model able to capture and predict the protein flow on endothelial advecting plasma membranes. The model has been validated against co-designed in vitro experiments. The complete picture of the receptor dynamics has been understood, and limiting factors have been identified together with the laws that regulate receptor polarization. This computational approach might be insightful in the prediction of endothelial cell behavior in different tumoral environments, circumventing the time-consuming and expensive empirical characterization of each tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Serpelloni
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - M Arricca
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - C Ravelli
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - E Grillo
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - S Mitola
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - A Salvadori
- The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
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30
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Sajid N. Topography and mechanical measurements of primary Schwann cells and neuronal cells with atomic force microscope for understanding and controlling nerve growth. Micron 2023; 167:103427. [PMID: 36805164 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2023.103427] [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: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injuries require a piece of substantial information for a satisfactory treatment. The prior peripheral nerve injury knowledge, can improve nerve repair, and its growth at molecular and cellular level. In this study, we employed an atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate the topography and mechanical properties of the primary Schwann cells and neuronal cells. Tapping mode images and contact points force-volume maps provide the cells topography. Two different probes were used to acquire the micro and nanomechanical properties of the primary Schwann cells, NG-108-15 neuronal cells, and growth cones. Moreover, the sharp probe was only used to investigate neurites nanomechanics. A significant difference in the elastic moduli found between primary Schwann cells, and neuronal cells, with both probes, with consistent results. The elastic moduli of the growth cones were found higher, than the neuronal cells and primary Schwann cells, with both probes. Furthermore, the modulus variations were also found between neurites. These results have significant implications for a better understanding of the peripheral nerve system (PNS) in terms of defining the optimal pattern surface and nerve guidance conduits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nusrat Sajid
- Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
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31
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Liu S, Li Y, Hong Y, Wang M, Zhang H, Ma J, Qu K, Huang G, Lu TJ. Mechanotherapy in oncology: Targeting nuclear mechanics and mechanotransduction. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 194:114722. [PMID: 36738968 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114722] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Mechanotherapy is proposed as a new option for cancer treatment. Increasing evidence suggests that characteristic differences are present in the nuclear mechanics and mechanotransduction of cancer cells compared with those of normal cells. Recent advances in understanding nuclear mechanics and mechanotransduction provide not only further insights into the process of malignant transformation but also useful references for developing new therapeutic approaches. Herein, we present an overview of the alterations of nuclear mechanics and mechanotransduction in cancer cells and highlight their implications in cancer mechanotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaobao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China; MIIT Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Lightweight Materials and Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China
| | - Yuan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Yuan Hong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Ming Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China; MIIT Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Lightweight Materials and Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China
| | - Jinlu Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Kai Qu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Guoyou Huang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
| | - Tian Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China; MIIT Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Lightweight Materials and Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China.
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32
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Lv H, Yang H, Jiang C, Shi J, Chen RA, Huang Q, Shao D. Microgravity and immune cells. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220869. [PMID: 36789512 PMCID: PMC9929508 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The microgravity environment experienced during spaceflight severely impaired immune system, making astronauts vulnerable to various diseases that seriously threaten the health of astronauts. Immune cells are exceptionally sensitive to changes in gravity and the microgravity environment can affect multiple aspects of immune cells through different mechanisms. Previous reports have mainly summarized the role of microgravity in the classification of innate and adaptive immune cells, lacking an overall grasp of the laws that microgravity effects on immune cells at different stages of their entire developmental process, such as differentiation, activation, metabolism, as well as function, which are discussed and concluded in this review. The possible molecular mechanisms are also analysed to provide a clear understanding of the specific role of microgravity in the whole development process of immune cells. Furthermore, the existing methods by which to reverse the damage of immune cells caused by microgravity, such as the use of polysaccharides, flavonoids, other natural immune cell activators etc. to target cell proliferation, apoptosis and impaired function are summarized. This review will provide not only new directions and ideas for the study of immune cell function in the microgravity environment, but also an important theoretical basis for the development of immunosuppression prevention and treatment drugs for spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfang Lv
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Yang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunmei Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Junling Shi
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Ren-an Chen
- Hematology Department, Shaanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital, 309 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingsheng Huang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongyan Shao
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, People's Republic of China
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33
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Xiong Q, Lee OS, Mirkin CA, Schatz G. Ethanol-Induced Condensation and Decondensation in DNA-Linked Nanoparticles: A Nucleosome-like Model for the Condensed State. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:706-716. [PMID: 36573457 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Inspired by the conventional use of ethanol to induce DNA precipitation, ethanol condensation has been applied as a routine method to dynamically tune "bond" lengths (i.e., the surface-to-surface distances between adjacent nanoparticles that are linked by DNA) and thermal stabilities of colloidal crystals involving DNA-linked nanoparticles. However, the underlying mechanism of how the DNA bond that links gold nanoparticles changes in this class of colloidal crystals in response to ethanol remains unclear. Here, we conducted a series of all-atom molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to explore the free energy landscape for DNA condensation and decondensation. Our simulations confirm that DNA condensation is energetically much more favorable under 80% ethanol conditions than in pure water, as a result of ethanol's role in enhancing electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged species. Moreover, the condensed DNA adopts B-form in pure water and A-form in 80% ethanol, which indicates that the higher-order transition does not affect DNA's conformational preferences. We further propose a nucleosome-like supercoiled model for the DNA condensed state, and we show that the DNA end-to-end distance derived from this model matches the experimentally measured DNA bond length of about 3 nm in the fully condensed state for DNA where the measured length is 16 nm in water. Overall, this study provides an atomistic understanding of the mechanism underlying ethanol-induced condensation and water-induced decondensation, while our proposed nucleosome-like model allows the design of new strategies for interpreting experimental studies of DNA condensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinsi Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208-3113, United States
| | - One-Sun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208-3113, United States
| | - Chad A Mirkin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208-3113, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States
| | - George Schatz
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois60208-3113, United States
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34
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Analysis of gelatin secondary structure in gelatin/keratin-based biomaterials. J Mol Struct 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.134984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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35
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Kang H, Xiong Y, Ma L, Yang T, Xu X. Recent advances in micro-/nanostructure array integrated microfluidic devices for efficient separation of circulating tumor cells. RSC Adv 2022; 12:34892-34903. [PMID: 36540264 PMCID: PMC9724214 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06339e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) released from the primary tumor to peripheral blood are promising targets for liquid biopsies. Their biological information is vital for early cancer detection, efficacy assessment, and prognostic monitoring. Despite the tremendous clinical applications of CTCs, development of effective separation techniques are still demanding. Traditional separation methods usually use batch processing for enrichment, which inevitably destroy cell integrity and affect the complete information acquisition. Considering the rarity and heterogeneity of CTCs, it is urgent to develop effective separation methods. Microfluidic chips with precise fluid control at the micron level are promising devices for CTC separation. Their further combination with micro-/nanostructure arrays adds more biomolecule binding sites and exhibit unique fluid barrier effect, which significantly improve the CTC capture efficiency, purity, and sensitivity. This review summarized the recent advances in micro-/nanostructure array integrated microfluidic devices for CTC separation, including microrods, nanowires, and 3D micro-/nanostructures. The mechanisms by which these structures contribute to improved capture efficiency are discussed. Two major categories of separation methods, based on the physical and biological properties of CTCs, are discussed separately. Physical separation includes the design and preparation of micro-/nanostructure arrays, while chemical separation additionally involves the selection and modification of specific capture probes. These emerging technologies are expected to become powerful tools for disease diagnosis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyue Kang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 201804 China
| | - Yuting Xiong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 201804 China
| | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 China
| | - Tongqing Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 201804 China
| | - Xiaobin Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 201804 China
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36
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Bell ES, Shah P, Zuela-Sopilniak N, Kim D, Varlet AA, Morival JL, McGregor AL, Isermann P, Davidson PM, Elacqua JJ, Lakins JN, Vahdat L, Weaver VM, Smolka MB, Span PN, Lammerding J. Low lamin A levels enhance confined cell migration and metastatic capacity in breast cancer. Oncogene 2022; 41:4211-4230. [PMID: 35896617 PMCID: PMC9925375 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aberrations in nuclear size and shape are commonly used to identify cancerous tissue. However, it remains unclear whether the disturbed nuclear structure directly contributes to the cancer pathology or is merely a consequence of other events occurring during tumorigenesis. Here, we show that highly invasive and proliferative breast cancer cells frequently exhibit Akt-driven lower expression of the nuclear envelope proteins lamin A/C, leading to increased nuclear deformability that permits enhanced cell migration through confined environments that mimic interstitial spaces encountered during metastasis. Importantly, increasing lamin A/C expression in highly invasive breast cancer cells reflected gene expression changes characteristic of human breast tumors with higher LMNA expression, and specifically affected pathways related to cell-ECM interactions, cell metabolism, and PI3K/Akt signaling. Further supporting an important role of lamins in breast cancer metastasis, analysis of lamin levels in human breast tumors revealed a significant association between lower lamin A levels, Akt signaling, and decreased disease-free survival. These findings suggest that downregulation of lamin A/C in breast cancer cells may influence both cellular physical properties and biochemical signaling to promote metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S. Bell
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,Current address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Pragya Shah
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | | | - Dongsung Kim
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Alice-Anais Varlet
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Julien L.P. Morival
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Alexandra L. McGregor
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Philipp Isermann
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | | | - Joshua J. Elacqua
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Jonathan N. Lakins
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Linda Vahdat
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Valerie M. Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA,Helen Diller Cancer Center, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, and Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Marcus B. Smolka
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Paul N. Span
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiotherapy & OncoImmunology laboratory, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. .,Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Kalukula Y, Stephens AD, Lammerding J, Gabriele S. Mechanics and functional consequences of nuclear deformations. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:583-602. [PMID: 35513718 PMCID: PMC9902167 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00480-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
As the home of cellular genetic information, the nucleus has a critical role in determining cell fate and function in response to various signals and stimuli. In addition to biochemical inputs, the nucleus is constantly exposed to intrinsic and extrinsic mechanical forces that trigger dynamic changes in nuclear structure and morphology. Emerging data suggest that the physical deformation of the nucleus modulates many cellular and nuclear functions. These functions have long been considered to be downstream of cytoplasmic signalling pathways and dictated by gene expression. In this Review, we discuss an emerging perspective on the mechanoregulation of the nucleus that considers the physical connections from chromatin to nuclear lamina and cytoskeletal filaments as a single mechanical unit. We describe key mechanisms of nuclear deformations in time and space and provide a critical review of the structural and functional adaptive responses of the nucleus to deformations. We then consider the contribution of nuclear deformations to the regulation of important cellular functions, including muscle contraction, cell migration and human disease pathogenesis. Collectively, these emerging insights shed new light on the dynamics of nuclear deformations and their roles in cellular mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohalie Kalukula
- University of Mons, Soft Matter and Biomaterials group, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, Place du Parc, 20 B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Andrew D. Stephens
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA,Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sylvain Gabriele
- University of Mons, Soft Matter and Biomaterials group, Interfaces and Complex Fluids Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, CIRMAP, Place du Parc, 20 B-7000 Mons, Belgium
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Jana A, Tran A, Gill A, Kiepas A, Kapania RK, Konstantopoulos K, Nain AS. Sculpting Rupture-Free Nuclear Shapes in Fibrous Environments. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2203011. [PMID: 35863910 PMCID: PMC9443471 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202203011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytoskeleton-mediated force transmission regulates nucleus morphology. How nuclei shaping occurs in fibrous in vivo environments remains poorly understood. Here suspended nanofiber networks of precisely tunable (nm-µm) diameters are used to quantify nucleus plasticity in fibrous environments mimicking the natural extracellular matrix. Contrary to the apical cap over the nucleus in cells on 2-dimensional surfaces, the cytoskeleton of cells on fibers displays a uniform actin network caging the nucleus. The role of contractility-driven caging in sculpting nuclear shapes is investigated as cells spread on aligned single fibers, doublets, and multiple fibers of varying diameters. Cell contractility increases with fiber diameter due to increased focal adhesion clustering and density of actin stress fibers, which correlates with increased mechanosensitive transcription factor Yes-associated protein (YAP) translocation to the nucleus. Unexpectedly, large- and small-diameter fiber combinations lead to teardrop-shaped nuclei due to stress fiber anisotropy across the cell. As cells spread on fibers, diameter-dependent nuclear envelope invaginations that run the nucleus's length are formed at fiber contact sites. The sharpest invaginations enriched with heterochromatin clustering and sites of DNA repair are insufficient to trigger nucleus rupture. Overall, the authors quantitate the previously unknown sculpting and adaptability of nuclei to fibrous environments with pathophysiological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniket Jana
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringVirginia TechBlacksburgVA24061USA
| | - Avery Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMD21218USA
| | - Amritpal Gill
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringVirginia TechBlacksburgVA24061USA
| | - Alexander Kiepas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMD21218USA
| | - Rakesh K. Kapania
- Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace EngineeringVirginia TechBlacksburgVA24061USA
| | | | - Amrinder S. Nain
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringVirginia TechBlacksburgVA24061USA
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Katiyar A, Zhang J, Antani JD, Yu Y, Scott KL, Lele PP, Reinhart‐King CA, Sniadecki NJ, Roux KJ, Dickinson RB, Lele TP. The Nucleus Bypasses Obstacles by Deforming Like a Drop with Surface Tension Mediated by Lamin A/C. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2201248. [PMID: 35712768 PMCID: PMC9376816 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202201248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Migrating cells must deform their stiff cell nucleus to move through pores and fibers in tissue. Lamin A/C is known to hinder cell migration by limiting nuclear deformation and passage through confining channels, but its role in nuclear deformation and passage through fibrous environments is less clear. Cell and nuclear migration through discrete, closely spaced, slender obstacles which mimic the mechanical properties of collagen fibers are studied. Nuclei bypass slender obstacles while preserving their overall morphology by deforming around them with deep local invaginations of little resisting force. The obstacles do not impede the nuclear trajectory and do not cause rupture of the nuclear envelope. Nuclei likewise deform around single collagen fibers in cells migrating in 3D collagen gels. In contrast to its limiting role in nuclear passage through confining channels, lamin A/C facilitates nuclear deformation and passage through fibrous environments; nuclei in lamin-null (Lmna-/- ) cells lose their overall morphology and become entangled on the obstacles. Analogous to surface tension-mediated deformation of a liquid drop, lamin A/C imparts a surface tension on the nucleus that allows nuclear invaginations with little mechanical resistance, preventing nuclear entanglement and allowing nuclear passage through fibrous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Katiyar
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTexas A&M University101 Bizzell St.College StationTX77843USA
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringVanderbilt University2301 Vanderbilt PlaceNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Jyot D. Antani
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical EngineeringTexas A&M University3122 TAMUCollege StationTX77843USA
| | - Yifan Yu
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Florida1030 Center DriveGainesvilleFL32611USA
| | - Kelsey L. Scott
- Enabling Technologies GroupSanford Research2301 East 60th St NSioux FallsSD57104USA
| | - Pushkar P. Lele
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical EngineeringTexas A&M University3122 TAMUCollege StationTX77843USA
| | - Cynthia A. Reinhart‐King
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringVanderbilt University2301 Vanderbilt PlaceNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Nathan J. Sniadecki
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringDepartment of Lab Medicine and PathologyInstitute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineCenter for Cardiac BiologyUniversity of WashingtonStevens Way, Box 352600SeattleWA98195USA
| | - Kyle J. Roux
- Enabling Technologies GroupSanford Research2301 East 60th St NSioux FallsSD57104USA
- Department of PediatricsSanford School of MedicineUniversity of South Dakota414 E Clark StVermillionSD57069USA
| | - Richard B. Dickinson
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Florida1030 Center DriveGainesvilleFL32611USA
| | - Tanmay P. Lele
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTexas A&M University101 Bizzell St.College StationTX77843USA
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical EngineeringTexas A&M University3122 TAMUCollege StationTX77843USA
- Department of Translational Medical SciencesTexas A&M University2121 W Holcombe St.HoustonTX77030USA
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Genetically engineered and enucleated human mesenchymal stromal cells for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to diseased tissue. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:882-897. [PMID: 34931077 PMCID: PMC9207157 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-021-00815-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Targeting the delivery of therapeutics specifically to diseased tissue enhances their efficacy and decreases their side effects. Here we show that mesenchymal stromal cells with their nuclei removed by density-gradient centrifugation following the genetic modification of the cells for their display of chemoattractant receptors and endothelial-cell-binding molecules are effective vehicles for the targeted delivery of therapeutics. The enucleated cells neither proliferate nor permanently engraft in the host, yet retain the organelles for energy and protein production, undergo integrin-regulated adhesion to inflamed endothelial cells, and actively home to chemokine gradients established by diseased tissues. In mouse models of acute inflammation and of pancreatitis, systemically administered enucleated cells expressing two types of chemokine receptor and an endothelial adhesion molecule enhanced the delivery of an anti-inflammatory cytokine to diseased tissue (with respect to unmodified stromal cells and to exosomes derived from bone-marrow-derived stromal cells), attenuating inflammation and ameliorating disease pathology. Enucleated cells retain most of the cells' functionality, yet acquire the cargo-carrying characteristics of cell-free delivery systems, and hence represent a versatile delivery vehicle and therapeutic system.
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41
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Villa S, Palamidessi A, Frittoli E, Scita G, Cerbino R, Giavazzi F. Non-invasive measurement of nuclear relative stiffness from quantitative analysis of microscopy data. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2022; 45:50. [PMID: 35604494 PMCID: PMC9165292 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00189-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The connection between the properties of a cell tissue and those of the single constituent cells remains to be elucidated. At the purely mechanical level, the degree of rigidity of different cellular components, such as the nucleus and the cytoplasm, modulates the interplay between the cell inner processes and the external environment, while simultaneously mediating the mechanical interactions between neighboring cells. Being able to quantify the correlation between single-cell and tissue properties would improve our mechanobiological understanding of cell tissues. Here we develop a methodology to quantitatively extract a set of structural and motility parameters from the analysis of time-lapse movies of nuclei belonging to jammed and flocking cell monolayers. We then study in detail the correlation between the dynamical state of the tissue and the deformation of the nuclei. We observe that the nuclear deformation rate linearly correlates with the local divergence of the velocity field, which leads to a non-invasive estimate of the elastic modulus of the nucleus relative to the one of the cytoplasm. We also find that nuclei belonging to flocking monolayers, subjected to larger mechanical perturbations, are about two time stiffer than nuclei belonging to dynamically arrested monolayers, in agreement with atomic force microscopy results. Our results demonstrate a non-invasive route to the determination of nuclear relative stiffness for cells in a monolayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Villa
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, 20090 Segrate, Italy
| | | | | | - Giorgio Scita
- IFOM-FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, 20139 Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Oncologia e Emato-Oncologia, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cerbino
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabio Giavazzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, 20090 Segrate, Italy
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Beunk L, Bakker GJ, van Ens D, Bugter J, Gal F, Svoren M, Friedl P, Wolf K. Actomyosin contractility requirements and reciprocal cell-tissue mechanics for cancer cell invasion through collagen-based channels. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2022; 45:48. [PMID: 35575822 PMCID: PMC9110550 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00182-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The interstitial tumor microenvironment is composed of heterogeneously organized collagen-rich porous networks as well as channel-like structures and interfaces which provide both barriers and guidance for invading cells. Tumor cells invading 3D random porous collagen networks depend upon actomyosin contractility to deform and translocate the nucleus, whereas Rho/Rho-associated kinase-dependent contractility is largely dispensable for migration in stiff capillary-like confining microtracks. To investigate whether this dichotomy of actomyosin contractility dependence also applies to physiological, deformable linear collagen environments, we developed nearly barrier-free collagen-scaffold microtracks of varying cross section using two-photon laser ablation. Both very narrow and wide tracks supported single-cell migration by either outward pushing of collagen up to four times when tracks were narrow, or cell pulling on collagen walls down to 50% of the original diameter by traction forces of up to 40 nN when tracks were wide, resulting in track widths optimized to single-cell diameter. Targeting actomyosin contractility by synthetic inhibitors increased cell elongation and nuclear shape change in narrow tracks and abolished cell-mediated deformation of both wide and narrow tracks. Accordingly, migration speeds in all channel widths reduced, with migration rates of around 45-65% of the original speed persisting. Together, the data suggest that cells engage actomyosin contraction to reciprocally adjust both own morphology and linear track width to optimal size for effective cellular locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Beunk
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-Jan Bakker
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Diede van Ens
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Bugter
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Gal
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Svoren
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Friedl
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Cancer Genomics Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Katarina Wolf
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
Much of the current research into immune escape from cancer is focused on molecular and cellular biology, an area of biophysics that is easily overlooked. A large number of immune drugs entering the clinic are not effective for all patients. Apart from the molecular heterogeneity of tumors, the biggest reason for this may be that knowledge of biophysics has not been considered, and therefore an exploration of biophysics may help to address this challenge. To help researchers better investigate the relationship between tumor immune escape and biophysics, this paper provides a brief overview on recent advances and challenges of the biophysical factors and strategies by which tumors acquire immune escape and a comprehensive analysis of the relevant forces acting on tumor cells during immune escape. These include tumor and stromal stiffness, fluid interstitial pressure, shear stress, and viscoelasticity. In addition, advances in biophysics cannot be made without the development of detection tools, and this paper also provides a comprehensive summary of the important detection tools available at this stage in the field of biophysics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maonan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xiaohui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
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44
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Papadakis L, Karatsis E, Michalakis K, Tsouknidas A. Cellular Biomechanics: Fluid-Structure Interaction Or Structural Simulation? J Biomech 2022; 136:111084. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Osteocytes are the conductors of bone adaptation and remodelling. Buried inside the calcified matrix, they sense mechanical cues and signal osteoclasts in case of low activity, and osteoblasts when stresses are high. How do osteocytes detect mechanical stress? What physical signal do they perceive? Finite element analysis is a useful tool to address these questions as it allows calculating stresses, strains and fluid flow where they cannot be measured. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the capabilities and challenges of finite element models of bone, in particular the osteocytes and load-induced activation mechanisms. RECENT FINDINGS High-resolution imaging and increased computational power allow ever more detailed modelling of osteocytes, either in isolation or embedded within the mineralised matrix. Over the years, homogeneous models of bone and osteocytes got replaced by heterogeneous and microstructural models, including, e.g. the lacuno-canalicular network and the cytoskeleton. The lacuno-canalicular network induces strain amplifications and the osteocyte protrusions seem to be stimulated much more than the cell body, both by strain and fluid flow. More realistic cell geometries, like minute constrictions of the canaliculi, increase this effect. Microstructural osteocyte models describe the transduction of external stimuli to the nucleus. Supracellular multiscale models (e.g. of a tunnelling osteon) allow to study differential loading of osteocytes and to distinguish between strain and fluid flow as the pivotal stimulatory cue. In the future, the finite element models may be enhanced by including chemical transport and intercellular communication between osteocytes, osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoor H Smit
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amsterdam Movement Sciences Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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46
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Vahabikashi A, Adam SA, Medalia O, Goldman RD. Nuclear lamins: Structure and function in mechanobiology. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:011503. [PMID: 35146235 PMCID: PMC8810204 DOI: 10.1063/5.0082656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear lamins are type V intermediate filament proteins that polymerize into complex filamentous meshworks at the nuclear periphery and in less structured forms throughout the nucleoplasm. Lamins interact with a wide range of nuclear proteins and are involved in numerous nuclear and cellular functions. Within the nucleus, they play roles in chromatin organization and gene regulation, nuclear shape, size, and mechanics, and the organization and anchorage of nuclear pore complexes. At the whole cell level, they are involved in the organization of the cytoskeleton, cell motility, and mechanotransduction. The expression of different lamin isoforms has been associated with developmental progression, differentiation, and tissue-specific functions. Mutations in lamins and their binding proteins result in over 15 distinct human diseases, referred to as laminopathies. The laminopathies include muscular (e.g., Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy), neurological (e.g., microcephaly), and metabolic (e.g., familial partial lipodystrophy) disorders as well as premature aging diseases (e.g., Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria and Werner syndromes). How lamins contribute to the etiology of laminopathies is still unknown. In this review article, we summarize major recent findings on the structure, organization, and multiple functions of lamins in nuclear and more global cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Vahabikashi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Stephen A. Adam
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert D. Goldman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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47
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Boos MA, Lamandé SR, Stok KS. Multiscale Strain Transfer in Cartilage. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:795522. [PMID: 35186920 PMCID: PMC8855033 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.795522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The transfer of stress and strain signals between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells is crucial for biochemical and biomechanical cues that are required for tissue morphogenesis, differentiation, growth, and homeostasis. In cartilage tissue, the heterogeneity in spatial variation of ECM molecules leads to a depth-dependent non-uniform strain transfer and alters the magnitude of forces sensed by cells in articular and fibrocartilage, influencing chondrocyte metabolism and biochemical response. It is not fully established how these nonuniform forces ultimately influence cartilage health, maintenance, and integrity. To comprehend tissue remodelling in health and disease, it is fundamental to investigate how these forces, the ECM, and cells interrelate. However, not much is known about the relationship between applied mechanical stimulus and resulting spatial variations in magnitude and sense of mechanical stimuli within the chondrocyte’s microenvironment. Investigating multiscale strain transfer and hierarchical structure-function relationships in cartilage is key to unravelling how cells receive signals and how they are transformed into biosynthetic responses. Therefore, this article first reviews different cartilage types and chondrocyte mechanosensing. Following this, multiscale strain transfer through cartilage tissue and the involvement of individual ECM components are discussed. Finally, insights to further understand multiscale strain transfer in cartilage are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela A. Boos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Shireen R. Lamandé
- Musculoskeletal Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kathryn S. Stok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Kathryn S. Stok,
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48
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Sun W, Gao X, Lei H, Wang W, Cao Y. Biophysical Approaches for Applying and Measuring Biological Forces. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105254. [PMID: 34923777 PMCID: PMC8844594 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, increasing evidence has indicated that mechanical loads can regulate the morphogenesis, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of living cells. Investigations of how cells sense mechanical stimuli or the mechanotransduction mechanism is an active field of biomaterials and biophysics. Gaining a further understanding of mechanical regulation and depicting the mechanotransduction network inside cells require advanced experimental techniques and new theories. In this review, the fundamental principles of various experimental approaches that have been developed to characterize various types and magnitudes of forces experienced at the cellular and subcellular levels are summarized. The broad applications of these techniques are introduced with an emphasis on the difficulties in implementing these techniques in special biological systems. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed, which can guide readers to choose the most suitable technique for their questions. A perspective on future directions in this field is also provided. It is anticipated that technical advancement can be a driving force for the development of mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxu Sun
- School of SciencesNantong UniversityNantong226019P. R. China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Hai Lei
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation CenterNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Yi Cao
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and TechnologyDepartment of Polymer Science & EngineeringCollege of Chemistry & Chemical EngineeringNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation CenterNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
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Moghimi N, Peng K, Voloshin A. Biomechanical characterization and modeling of human mesenchymal stem cells under compression. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2022; 25:1608-1617. [PMID: 35062850 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2022.2028777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The application of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in biomedical devices has expanded vastly over the last few decades, with MEMS devices being developed to measure different characteristics of cells. The study of cell mechanics offers valuable understanding of cell viability and functionality. Cell biomechanics approaches also facilitate the characterization of important cell and tissue behaviors. In particular, understanding of the biological response of cells to their biomechanical environment would enhance the knowledge of how cellular responses correlate to tissue level characteristics and how some diseases, such as cancer, grow in the body. This study focuses on viscoelastic modeling of the behavior of a single suspended human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC). Mechanical properties of hMSC cells are particularly important in tissue engineering and research for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the elastic and viscoelastic properties of hMSC cells using a miniaturized custom-made BioMEMS device. Our results were compared to the elastic and viscoelastic properties measured by other methods such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micropipette aspiration. Different approaches were applied to model the experimentally obtained force data, including elastic and Standard Linear Solid (SLS) constitutive models, and the corresponding constants were derived. These values were compared to the ones in literature that were based on micropipette aspiration and AFM methods. We then utilized a tensegrity approach to model major parts of the internal structure of the cell and treat the cell as a network of viscoelastic microtubules and microfilaments, as opposed to a simple spherical blob. The results predicted from the tensegrity model were similar to the recorded experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Moghimi
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Kaiyuan Peng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Arkady Voloshin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
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50
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Ghosh S, Scott AK, Seelbinder B, Barthold JE, Martin BMS, Kaonis S, Schneider SE, Henderson JT, Neu CP. Dedifferentiation alters chondrocyte nuclear mechanics during in vitro culture and expansion. Biophys J 2022; 121:131-141. [PMID: 34800469 PMCID: PMC8758405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biophysical features of a cell can provide global insights into diverse molecular changes, especially in processes like the dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. Key biophysical markers of chondrocyte dedifferentiation include flattened cellular morphology and increased stress-fiber formation. During cartilage regeneration procedures, dedifferentiation of chondrocytes during in vitro expansion presents a critical limitation to the successful repair of cartilage tissue. Our study investigates how biophysical changes of chondrocytes during dedifferentiation influence the nuclear mechanics and gene expression of structural proteins located at the nuclear envelope. Through an experimental model of cell stretching and a detailed spatial intranuclear strain quantification, we identified that strain is amplified and the distribution of strain within the chromatin is altered under tensile loading in the dedifferentiated state. Further, using a confocal microscopy image-based finite element model and simulation of cell stretching, we found that the cell shape is the primary determinant of the strain amplification inside the chondrocyte nucleus in the dedifferentiated state. Additionally, we found that nuclear envelope proteins have lower gene expression in the dedifferentiated state. This study highlights the role of cell shape in nuclear mechanics and lays the groundwork to design biophysical strategies for the maintenance and enhancement of the chondrocyte phenotype during cell expansion with a goal of successful cartilage tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Ghosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO,School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO,Translational Medicine Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO,Corresponding author
| | - Adrienne K. Scott
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Benjamin Seelbinder
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Jeanne E. Barthold
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Brittany M. St. Martin
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Samantha Kaonis
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO,Translational Medicine Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Stephanie E. Schneider
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | | | - Corey P. Neu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO,Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO,BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
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