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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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2
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Zhang L, Liu N, Wang X. Probe the nanoparticle-nucleus interaction via coarse-grained molecular model. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:30319-30329. [PMID: 37908190 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02981f] [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: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The present study reports on a computational model that systematically evaluates the effect of physical factors, including size, surface modification, and rigidity, on the nuclear uptake of nanoparticles (NPs). The NP-nucleus interaction is a crucial factor in biomedical applications such as drug delivery and cellular imaging. While experimental studies have provided evidence for the influence of size, shape, and surface modification on nuclear uptake, theoretical investigations on how these physical factors affect the entrance of NPs through the nuclear pore are lacking. Our results demonstrate that larger NPs require a higher amount of energy to enter the nucleus compared to smaller NPs. This highlights the importance of size as a critical factor in NP design for nuclear uptake. Additionally, surface modification of NPs can impact the nuclear uptake pathway, indicating the potential for tailored NP design for specific applications. Notably, our findings also reveal that the rigidity of NPs has a significant effect on the transport process. The interplay between physicochemical properties and nuclear pore is found to determine nuclear uptake efficiency. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the design of NPs for precise and controllable NP-nucleus interaction, with potential implications for the development of efficient and targeted drug delivery systems and imaging agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Liu
- School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China.
| | - Xianqiao Wang
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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3
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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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4
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Tang W, Chen X, Wang X, Zhu M, Shan G, Wang T, Dou W, Wang J, Law J, Gong Z, Hopyan S, Huang X, Sun Y. Indentation induces instantaneous nuclear stiffening and unfolding of nuclear envelope wrinkles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307356120. [PMID: 37639585 PMCID: PMC10483616 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307356120] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The nuclear envelope (NE) separates genomic DNA from the cytoplasm and regulates transport between the cytosol and the nucleus in eukaryotes. Nuclear stiffening enables the cell nucleus to protect itself from extensive deformation, loss of NE integrity, and genome instability. It is known that the reorganization of actin, lamin, and chromatin can contribute to nuclear stiffening. In this work, we show that structural alteration of NE also contributes to instantaneous nuclear stiffening under indentation. In situ mechanical characterization of cell nuclei in intact cells shows that nuclear stiffening and unfolding of NE wrinkles occur simultaneously at the indentation site. A positive correlation between the initial state of NE wrinkles, the unfolding of NE wrinkles, and the stiffening ratio (stiffness fold-change) is found. Additionally, NE wrinkles unfold throughout the nucleus outside the indentation site. Finite element simulation, which involves the purely passive process of structural unfolding, shows that unfolding of NE wrinkles alone can lead to an increase in nuclear stiffness and a reduction in stress and strain levels. Together, these results provide a perspective on how cell nucleus adapts to mechanical stimuli through structural alteration of the NE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentian Tang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Xin Chen
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Xian Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Min Zhu
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Guanqiao Shan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Tiancong Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Wenkun Dou
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Jintian Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Junhui Law
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Zheyuan Gong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Sevan Hopyan
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Xi Huang
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G4, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G4, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G9, Canada
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5
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Donnaloja F, Raimondi MT, Messa L, Barzaghini B, Carnevali F, Colombo E, Mazza D, Martinelli C, Boeri L, Rey F, Cereda C, Osellame R, Cerullo G, Carelli S, Soncini M, Jacchetti E. 3D photopolymerized microstructured scaffolds influence nuclear deformation, nucleo/cytoskeletal protein organization, and gene regulation in mesenchymal stem cells. APL Bioeng 2023; 7:036112. [PMID: 37692376 PMCID: PMC10491463 DOI: 10.1063/5.0153215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli from the extracellular environment affect cell morphology and functionality. Recently, we reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) grown in a custom-made 3D microscaffold, the Nichoid, are able to express higher levels of stemness markers. In fact, the Nichoid is an interesting device for autologous MSC expansion in clinical translation and would appear to regulate gene activity by altering intracellular force transmission. To corroborate this hypothesis, we investigated mechanotransduction-related nuclear mechanisms, and we also treated spread cells with a drug that destroys the actin cytoskeleton. We observed a roundish nuclear shape in MSCs cultured in the Nichoid and correlated the nuclear curvature with the import of transcription factors. We observed a more homogeneous euchromatin distribution in cells cultured in the Nichoid with respect to the Flat sample, corresponding to a standard glass coverslip. These results suggest a different gene regulation, which we confirmed by an RNA-seq analysis that revealed the dysregulation of 1843 genes. We also observed a low structured lamina mesh, which, according to the implemented molecular dynamic simulations, indicates reduced damping activity, thus supporting the hypothesis of low intracellular force transmission. Also, our investigations regarding lamin expression and spatial organization support the hypothesis that the gene dysregulation induced by the Nichoid is mainly related to a reduction in force transmission. In conclusion, our findings revealing the Nichoid's effects on MSC behavior is a step forward in the control of stem cells via mechanical manipulation, thus paving the way to new strategies for MSC translation to clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Donnaloja
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Teresa Raimondi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Bianca Barzaghini
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Carnevali
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Davide Mazza
- Istituto Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, Centro di Imaging Sperimentale, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Martinelli
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Boeri
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Rey
- Pediatric Research Center “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi,” Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Cereda
- Center of Functional Genomic and Rare Diseases, “V. Buzzi” Children's Hospital, 20154 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Osellame
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies—CNR, and Physics Department, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies—CNR, and Physics Department, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Monica Soncini
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Jacchetti
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
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6
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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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7
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Kerdegari S, Canepa P, Odino D, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Relini A, Cavalleri O, Canale C. Insights in Cell Biomechanics through Atomic Force Microscopy. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:2980. [PMID: 37109816 PMCID: PMC10142950 DOI: 10.3390/ma16082980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We review the advances obtained by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)-based approaches in the field of cell/tissue mechanics and adhesion, comparing the solutions proposed and critically discussing them. AFM offers a wide range of detectable forces with a high force sensitivity, thus allowing a broad class of biological issues to be addressed. Furthermore, it allows for the accurate control of the probe position during the experiments, providing spatially resolved mechanical maps of the biological samples with subcellular resolution. Nowadays, mechanobiology is recognized as a subject of great relevance in biotechnological and biomedical fields. Focusing on the past decade, we discuss the intriguing issues of cellular mechanosensing, i.e., how cells sense and adapt to their mechanical environment. Next, we examine the relationship between cell mechanical properties and pathological states, focusing on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We show how AFM has contributed to the characterization of pathological mechanisms and discuss its role in the development of a new class of diagnostic tools that consider cell mechanics as new tumor biomarkers. Finally, we describe the unique ability of AFM to study cell adhesion, working quantitatively and at the single-cell level. Again, we relate cell adhesion experiments to the study of mechanisms directly or secondarily involved in pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajedeh Kerdegari
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
| | - Paolo Canepa
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
| | - Davide Odino
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Ångströmlaboratoriet, Box 35, SE-751 03 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Annalisa Relini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
| | - Ornella Cavalleri
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
| | - Claudio Canale
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy; (S.K.); (P.C.); (D.O.); (A.R.)
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8
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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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9
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X-rays induced alterations in mechanical and biochemical properties of isolated SH-SY5Y nuclei. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130291. [PMID: 36529242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of ionizing radiations in radiotherapy is an effective and very common cancer treatment after surgery. Although ionizing-radiation DNA damages are extensively investigated, little is known about their effects on the other nuclear components, since their variations when studied in whole cells can be difficult to decouple from those of the cytoplasmatic structures. The organization of nuclear components plays a functional role since they are directly involved in some of the nuclear response to chemical or physical stimuli. For this reason, studying the X-ray effects on nuclear components is a crucial step in radiobiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and micro-FTIR to examine the biomechanical and biochemical properties of hydrated fixed nuclei isolated from neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells irradiated by 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy X-ray doses. RESULTS The experimental results have shown that, already at 2 Gy irradiation dose, the nuclei exhibit not only a DNA damage, but also relevant alterations of lipid saturation, protein secondary structure arrangement and a significant decrease in nuclear stiffness, which indicate a remarkable chromatin decondensation. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The present work demonstrates that a multi-technique approach, able to disclose multiple features, can be helpful to achieve a comprehensive picture of the X-ray irradiation effects of the nuclear components and distinguish them from those occurring at the level of cytoplasm.
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10
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Lamont S, Fropier J, Abadie J, Piat E, Constantinescu A, Roux C, Vernerey F. Profiling oocytes with neural networks from images and mechanical data. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 138:105640. [PMID: 36566663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105640] [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: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The success rate of assisted reproductive technologies could be greatly improved by selectively choosing egg cells (oocytes) with the greatest chance of fertilization. The goal of mechanical profiling is, thus, to improve predictive oocyte selection by isolating the mechanical properties of oocytes and correlating them to their reproductive potential. The restrictions on experimental platforms, however - including minimal invasiveness and practicality in laboratory implementation - greatly limits the data that can be acquired from a single oocyte. In this study, we perform indentation studies on human oocytes and characterize the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida, the outer layer of the oocyte. We obtain excellent fitting with our physical model when indenting with a flat surface and clearly illustrate localized shear-thinning behavior of the zona pellucida, which has not been previously reported. We conclude by outlining a promising methodology for isolating the mechanical properties of the cytoplasm using neural networks and optical images taken during indentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lamont
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
| | - Juliette Fropier
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Joel Abadie
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Emmanuel Piat
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Andrei Constantinescu
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Christophe Roux
- Service de Biologie et Médecine de la Reproduction - Cryobiologie - CECOS Franche-Comté Bourgogne, CHRU Jean Minjoz, 3 Bd Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France
| | - Franck Vernerey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America.
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11
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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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12
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AFM imaging of the transcriptionally active chromatin in mammalian cells' nuclei. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130234. [PMID: 36007722 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear rigidity is traditionally associated with lamina and densely packed heterochromatin. Actively transcribed DNA is thought to be less densely packed. Currently, approaches for direct measurements of the transcriptionally active chromatin rigidity are quite limited. METHODS Isolated nuclei were subjected to mechanical stress at 60 g and analyzed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). RESULTS Nuclei of the normal fibroblast cells were completely flattened under mechanical stress, whereas nuclei of the cancerous HeLa were extremely resistant. In the deformed HeLa nuclei, AFM revealed a highly-branched landscape assembled of ~400 nm closed-packed globules and their structure was changing in response to external influence. Normal and cancerous cells' isolated nuclei were strikingly different by DNA resistance to applied mechanical stress. Paradoxically, more transcriptionally active and less optically dense chromatin of the nuclei of the cancerous cells demonstrated higher physical rigidity. A high concentration of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D led to complete flattening of HeLa nuclei, that might be related to the relaxation of supercoiled DNA tending to deformation. At a low concentration of actinomycin D, we observed the intermediary formation of stochastically distributed nanoloops and nanofilaments with different shapes but constant width ~ 180 nm. We related this phenomenon with partial DNA relaxation, while non-relaxed DNA still remained rigid. CONCLUSIONS The resistance to deformation of nuclear chromatin correlates with fundamental biological processes in the cell nucleus, such as transcription, as assessed by AFM. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE A new outlook to studying internal nuclei structure is proposed.
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13
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Jones ML, Dahl KN, Lele TP, Conway DE, Shenoy V, Ghosh S, Szczesny SE. The Elephant in the Cell: Nuclear Mechanics and Mechanobiology. J Biomech Eng 2022; 144:080802. [PMID: 35147160 PMCID: PMC8990742 DOI: 10.1115/1.4053797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The 2021 Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference (SB3C) featured a workshop titled "The Elephant in the Room: Nuclear Mechanics and Mechanobiology." The goal of this workshop was to provide a perspective from experts in the field on the current understanding of nuclear mechanics and its role in mechanobiology. This paper reviews the major themes and questions discussed during the workshop, including historical context on the initial methods of measuring the mechanical properties of the nucleus and classifying the primary structures dictating nuclear mechanics, physical plasticity of the nucleus, the emerging role of the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex in coupling the nucleus to the cytoplasm and driving the behavior of individual cells and multicellular assemblies, and the computational models currently in use to investigate the mechanisms of gene expression and cell signaling. Ongoing questions and controversies, along with promising future directions, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kris Noel Dahl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Doherty Hall, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; Forensics Department, Thornton Tomasetti, 120 Broadway 15th Floor, New York City, NY 10271
| | - Tanmay P. Lele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 101 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77840; Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 101 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77840; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 101 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Daniel E. Conway
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 West Main Street, P.O. Box 843068, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Vivek Shenoy
- Materials Science and Engineering Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Soham Ghosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Medicine Institute, Colorado State University, 400 Isotope Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Spencer E. Szczesny
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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14
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Currey ML, Kandula V, Biggs R, Marko JF, Stephens AD. A Versatile Micromanipulation Apparatus for Biophysical Assays of the Cell Nucleus. Cell Mol Bioeng 2022; 15:303-312. [PMID: 36119136 PMCID: PMC9474788 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-022-00734-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Intro Force measurements of the nucleus, the strongest organelle, have propelled the field of mechanobiology to understand the basic mechanical components of the nucleus and how these components properly support nuclear morphology and function. Micromanipulation force measurement provides separation of the relative roles of nuclear mechanical components chromatin and lamin A. Methods To provide access to this technique, we have developed a universal micromanipulation apparatus for inverted microscopes. We outline how to engineer and utilize this apparatus through dual micromanipulators, fashion and calibrate micropipettes, and flow systems to isolate a nucleus and provide force vs. extensions measurements. This force measurement approach provides the unique ability to measure the separate contributions of chromatin at short extensions and lamin A strain stiffening at long extensions. We then investigated the apparatus' controllable and programmable micromanipulators through compression, isolation, and extension in conjunction with fluorescence to develop new assays for nuclear mechanobiology. Results Using this methodology, we provide the first rebuilding of the micromanipulation setup outside of its lab of origin and recapitulate many key findings including spring constant of the nucleus and strain stiffening across many cell types. Furthermore, we have developed new micromanipulation-based techniques to compress nuclei inducing nuclear deformation and/or rupture, track nuclear shape post-isolation, and fluorescence imaging during micromanipulation force measurements. Conclusion We provide the workflow to build and use a micromanipulation apparatus with any inverted microscope to perform nucleus isolation, force measurements, and various other biophysical techniques. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-022-00734-y.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Viswajit Kandula
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
| | - Ronald Biggs
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
| | - John F. Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
| | - Andrew D. Stephens
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, USA
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15
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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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16
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Mishra S, Levy DL. Nuclear F-actin and Lamin A antagonistically modulate nuclear shape. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:275607. [PMID: 35665815 PMCID: PMC9377710 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear shape influences cell migration, gene expression and cell cycle progression, and is altered in disease states like laminopathies and cancer. What factors and forces determine nuclear shape? We find that nuclei assembled in Xenopus egg extracts in the presence of dynamic F-actin exhibit a striking bilobed nuclear morphology with distinct membrane compositions in the two lobes and accumulation of F-actin at the inner nuclear envelope. The addition of Lamin A (encoded by lmna), which is absent from Xenopus eggs, results in rounder nuclei, suggesting that opposing nuclear F-actin and Lamin A forces contribute to the regulation of nuclear shape. Nuclear F-actin also promotes altered nuclear shape in Lamin A-knockdown HeLa cells and, in both systems, abnormal nuclear shape is driven by formins and not Arp2/3 or myosin. Although the underlying mechanisms might differ in Xenopus and HeLa cells, we propose that nuclear F-actin filaments nucleated by formins impart outward forces that lead to altered nuclear morphology unless Lamin A is present. Targeting nuclear actin dynamics might represent a novel approach to rescuing disease-associated defects in nuclear shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sampada Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Daniel L. Levy
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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17
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Echarri A. A Multisensory Network Drives Nuclear Mechanoadaptation. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030404. [PMID: 35327596 PMCID: PMC8945967 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells have adapted to mechanical forces early in evolution and have developed multiple mechanisms ensuring sensing of, and adaptation to, the diversity of forces operating outside and within organisms. The nucleus must necessarily adapt to all types of mechanical signals, as its functions are essential for virtually all cell processes, many of which are tuned by mechanical cues. To sense forces, the nucleus is physically connected with the cytoskeleton, which senses and transmits forces generated outside and inside the cell. The nuclear LINC complex bridges the cytoskeleton and the nuclear lamina to transmit mechanical information up to the chromatin. This system creates a force-sensing macromolecular complex that, however, is not sufficient to regulate all nuclear mechanoadaptation processes. Within the nucleus, additional mechanosensitive structures, including the nuclear envelope and the nuclear pore complex, function to regulate nuclear mechanoadaptation. Similarly, extra nuclear mechanosensitive systems based on plasma membrane dynamics, mechanotransduce information to the nucleus. Thus, the nucleus has the intrinsic structural components needed to receive and interpret mechanical inputs, but also rely on extra nuclear mechano-sensors that activate nuclear regulators in response to force. Thus, a network of mechanosensitive cell structures ensures that the nucleus has a tunable response to mechanical cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Echarri
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Mechanoadaptation and Caveolae Biology Laboratory, Areas of Cell & Developmental Biology, Calle Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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18
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Yu W, Sharma S, Rao E, Rowat AC, Gimzewski JK, Han D, Rao J. Cancer cell mechanobiology: a new frontier for cancer research. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2022; 2:10-17. [PMID: 39035217 PMCID: PMC11256617 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of physical and mechanical features of cancer cells, or cancer cell mechanobiology, is a new frontier in cancer research. Such studies may enhance our understanding of the disease process, especially mechanisms associated with cancer cell invasion and metastasis, and may help the effort of developing diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic drug targets. Cancer cell mechanobiological changes are associated with the complex interplay of activation/inactivation of multiple signaling pathways, which can occur at both the genetic and epigenetic levels, and the interactions with the cancer microenvironment. It has been shown that metastatic tumor cells are more compliant than morphologically similar benign cells in actual human samples. Subsequent studies from us and others further demonstrated that cell mechanical properties are strongly associated with cancer cell invasive and metastatic potential, and thus may serve as a diagnostic marker of detecting cancer cells in human body fluid samples. In this review, we provide a brief narrative of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer cell mechanobiology, the technological platforms utilized to study cancer cell mechanobiology, the status of cancer cell mechanobiological studies in various cancer types, and the potential clinical applications of cancer cell mechanobiological study in cancer early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Amy C. Rowat
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - James K. Gimzewski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dong Han
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyu Rao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA
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19
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Mierke CT. Viscoelasticity, Like Forces, Plays a Role in Mechanotransduction. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:789841. [PMID: 35223831 PMCID: PMC8864183 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.789841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viscoelasticity and its alteration in time and space has turned out to act as a key element in fundamental biological processes in living systems, such as morphogenesis and motility. Based on experimental and theoretical findings it can be proposed that viscoelasticity of cells, spheroids and tissues seems to be a collective characteristic that demands macromolecular, intracellular component and intercellular interactions. A major challenge is to couple the alterations in the macroscopic structural or material characteristics of cells, spheroids and tissues, such as cell and tissue phase transitions, to the microscopic interferences of their elements. Therefore, the biophysical technologies need to be improved, advanced and connected to classical biological assays. In this review, the viscoelastic nature of cytoskeletal, extracellular and cellular networks is presented and discussed. Viscoelasticity is conceptualized as a major contributor to cell migration and invasion and it is discussed whether it can serve as a biomarker for the cells' migratory capacity in several biological contexts. It can be hypothesized that the statistical mechanics of intra- and extracellular networks may be applied in the future as a powerful tool to explore quantitatively the biomechanical foundation of viscoelasticity over a broad range of time and length scales. Finally, the importance of the cellular viscoelasticity is illustrated in identifying and characterizing multiple disorders, such as cancer, tissue injuries, acute or chronic inflammations or fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- Faculty of Physics and Earth Science, Peter Debye Institute of Soft Matter Physics, Biological Physics Division, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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20
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Hobson CM, Falvo MR, Superfine R. A survey of physical methods for studying nuclear mechanics and mechanobiology. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:041508. [PMID: 34849443 PMCID: PMC8604565 DOI: 10.1063/5.0068126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is increasingly appreciated that the cell nucleus is not only a home for DNA but also a complex material that resists physical deformations and dynamically responds to external mechanical cues. The molecules that confer mechanical properties to nuclei certainly contribute to laminopathies and possibly contribute to cellular mechanotransduction and physical processes in cancer such as metastasis. Studying nuclear mechanics and the downstream biochemical consequences or their modulation requires a suite of complex assays for applying, measuring, and visualizing mechanical forces across diverse length, time, and force scales. Here, we review the current methods in nuclear mechanics and mechanobiology, placing specific emphasis on each of their unique advantages and limitations. Furthermore, we explore important considerations in selecting a new methodology as are demonstrated by recent examples from the literature. We conclude by providing an outlook on the development of new methods and the judicious use of the current techniques for continued exploration into the role of nuclear mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael R. Falvo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Richard Superfine
- Department of Applied Physical Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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21
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The Role of Emerin in Cancer Progression and Metastasis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011289. [PMID: 34681951 PMCID: PMC8537873 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is commonly recognized in the field that cancer cells exhibit changes in the size and shape of their nuclei. These features often serve as important biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients. Nuclear size can significantly impact cell migration due to its incredibly large size. Nuclear structural changes are predicted to regulate cancer cell migration. Nuclear abnormalities are common across a vast spectrum of cancer types, regardless of tissue source, mutational spectrum, and signaling dependencies. The pervasiveness of nuclear alterations suggests that changes in nuclear structure may be crucially linked to the transformation process. The factors driving these nuclear abnormalities, and the functional consequences, are not completely understood. Nuclear envelope proteins play an important role in regulating nuclear size and structure in cancer. Altered expression of nuclear lamina proteins, including emerin, is found in many cancers and this expression is correlated with better clinical outcomes. A model is emerging whereby emerin, as well as other nuclear lamina proteins, binding to the nucleoskeleton regulates the nuclear structure to impact metastasis. In this model, emerin and lamins play a central role in metastatic transformation, since decreased emerin expression during transformation causes the nuclear structural defects required for increased cell migration, intravasation, and extravasation. Herein, we discuss the cellular functions of nuclear lamina proteins, with a particular focus on emerin, and how these functions impact cancer progression and metastasis.
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22
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Ovsiannikova NL, Lavrushkina SV, Ivanova AV, Mazina LM, Zhironkina OA, Kireev II. Lamin A as a Determinant of Mechanical Properties of the Cell Nucleus in Health and Disease. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2021; 86:1288-1300. [PMID: 34903160 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921100102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
One of the main factors associated with worse prognosis in oncology is metastasis, which is based on the ability of tumor cells to migrate from the primary source and to form secondary tumors. The search for new strategies to control migration of metastatic cells is one of the urgent issues in biomedicine. One of the strategies to stop spread of cancer cells could be regulation of the nuclear elasticity. Nucleus, as the biggest and stiffest cellular compartment, determines mechanical properties of the cell as a whole, and, hence, could prevent cell migration through the three-dimensional extracellular matrix. Nuclear rigidity is maintained by the nuclear lamina, two-dimensional network of intermediate filaments in the inner nuclear membrane (INM). Here we present the most significant factors defining nucleus rigidity, discuss the role of nuclear envelope composition in the cell migration, as well consider possible approaches to control lamina composition in order to change plasticity of the cell nucleus and ability of the tumor cells to metastasize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia L Ovsiannikova
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Svetlana V Lavrushkina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Anastasia V Ivanova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Ludmila M Mazina
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Oxana A Zhironkina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Igor I Kireev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Moscow, 117198, Russia
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23
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Bend, Push, Stretch: Remarkable Structure and Mechanics of Single Intermediate Filaments and Meshworks. Cells 2021; 10:cells10081960. [PMID: 34440729 PMCID: PMC8394331 DOI: 10.3390/cells10081960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytoskeleton of the eukaryotic cell provides a structural and functional scaffold enabling biochemical and cellular functions. While actin and microtubules form the main framework of the cell, intermediate filament networks provide unique mechanical properties that increase the resilience of both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, thereby maintaining cellular function while under mechanical pressure. Intermediate filaments (IFs) are imperative to a plethora of regulatory and signaling functions in mechanotransduction. Mutations in all types of IF proteins are known to affect the architectural integrity and function of cellular processes, leading to debilitating diseases. The basic building block of all IFs are elongated α-helical coiled-coils that assemble hierarchically into complex meshworks. A remarkable mechanical feature of IFs is the capability of coiled-coils to metamorphize into β-sheets under stress, making them one of the strongest and most resilient mechanical entities in nature. Here, we discuss structural and mechanical aspects of IFs with a focus on nuclear lamins and vimentin.
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Oda H, Kato S, Ohsumi K, Iwabuchi M. Lamin B receptor-mediated chromatin tethering to the nuclear envelope is detrimental to the Xenopus blastula. J Biochem 2021; 169:313-326. [PMID: 33169160 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaa123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, chromatin is tethered to the nuclear envelope (NE), wherein inner nuclear membrane proteins (INMPs) play major roles. However, in Xenopus blastula, chromatin tethering to the NE depends on nuclear filamentous actin that develops in a blastula-specific manner. To investigate whether chromatin tethering operates in the blastula through INMPs, we experimentally introduced INMPs into Xenopus egg extracts that recapitulate nuclear formation in fertilized eggs. When expressed in extracts in which polymerization of actin is inhibited, only lamin B receptor (LBR), among the five INMPs tested, tethered chromatin to the NE, depending on its N2 and N3 domains responsible for chromatin-protein binding. N2-3-deleted LBR did not tether chromatin, although it was localized in the nuclei. We subsequently found that the LBR level was very low in the Xenopus blastula but was elevated after the blastula stage. When the LBR level was precociously elevated in the blastula by injecting LBR mRNA, it induced alterations in nuclear lamina architecture and nuclear morphology and caused DNA damage and abnormal mitotic spindles, depending on the N2-3 domains. These results suggest that LBR-mediated chromatin tethering is circumvented in the Xenopus blastula, as it is detrimental to embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Oda
- Group of Developmental Cell Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Satsuki Kato
- Group of Developmental Cell Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Keita Ohsumi
- Group of Developmental Cell Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Mari Iwabuchi
- Group of Developmental Cell Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
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Graybill PM, Bollineni RK, Sheng Z, Davalos RV, Mirzaeifar R. A constriction channel analysis of astrocytoma stiffness and disease progression. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:024103. [PMID: 33763160 PMCID: PMC7968935 DOI: 10.1063/5.0040283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that cancer cells tend to have reduced stiffness (Young's modulus) compared to their healthy counterparts. The mechanical properties of primary brain cancer cells, however, have remained largely unstudied. To investigate whether the stiffness of primary brain cancer cells decreases as malignancy increases, we used a microfluidic constriction channel device to deform healthy astrocytes and astrocytoma cells of grade II, III, and IV and measured the entry time, transit time, and elongation. Calculating cell stiffness directly from the experimental measurements is not possible. To overcome this challenge, finite element simulations of the cell entry into the constriction channel were used to train a neural network to calculate the stiffness of the analyzed cells based on their experimentally measured diameter, entry time, and elongation in the channel. Our study provides the first calculation of stiffness for grades II and III astrocytoma and is the first to apply a neural network analysis to determine cell mechanical properties from a constriction channel device. Our results suggest that the stiffness of astrocytoma cells is not well-correlated with the cell grade. Furthermore, while other non-central-nervous-system cell types typically show reduced stiffness of malignant cells, we found that most astrocytoma cell lines had increased stiffness compared to healthy astrocytes, with lower-grade astrocytoma having higher stiffness values than grade IV glioblastoma. Differences in nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio only partly explain differences in stiffness values. Although our study does have limitations, our results do not show a strong correlation of stiffness with cell grade, suggesting that other factors may play important roles in determining the invasive capability of astrocytoma. Future studies are warranted to further elucidate the mechanical properties of astrocytoma across various pathological grades.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R. K. Bollineni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Z. Sheng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Virginia Tech Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA
| | - R. V. Davalos
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| | - R. Mirzaeifar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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Wang K, Qin Y, Chen Y. In situ AFM detection of the stiffness of the in situ exposed cell nucleus. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1868:118985. [PMID: 33600839 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.118985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Biomechanical properties of the cell nucleus play critical roles in cell behaviors and functions. As one important biomechanical property, the stiffness (or Young's modulus) of the cell nucleus has been widely investigated by different techniques including atomic force microscopy (AFM). In most of previous studies, the stiffness of the nuclear region of an intact cell or the stiffness of the isolated nucleus was detected. In this study, we developed a strategy for in situ detecting the stiffness of the cell nucleus via AFM. The extranuclear components of adherent cells (endothelial cells) were in situ removed by Triton X-100 treatment and the bare, adherent nuclei were exposed for in situ AFM force measurement. We found that the nuclear regions of intact cells (5.59 ± 1.55 kPa) had a relatively higher average Young's modulus than the nonnuclear regions (1.47 ± 0.77 kPa) and that the in situ exposed nuclei (22.06 ± 7.29 kPa) were much stiffer than the nuclear regions of intact cells. This strategy is very simple and effective for detecting the stiffness of the cell nucleus and potentially is promising for a wide application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Microscale Interdisciplinary Study, Institute for Advanced Study, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, PR China
| | - Ying Qin
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Microscale Interdisciplinary Study, Institute for Advanced Study, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, PR China; College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, PR China
| | - Yong Chen
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Microscale Interdisciplinary Study, Institute for Advanced Study, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, PR China; College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, PR China.
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Jabre S, Hleihel W, Coirault C. Nuclear Mechanotransduction in Skeletal Muscle. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020318. [PMID: 33557157 PMCID: PMC7913907 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle is composed of multinucleated, mature muscle cells (myofibers) responsible for contraction, and a resident pool of mononucleated muscle cell precursors (MCPs), that are maintained in a quiescent state in homeostatic conditions. Skeletal muscle is remarkable in its ability to adapt to mechanical constraints, a property referred as muscle plasticity and mediated by both MCPs and myofibers. An emerging body of literature supports the notion that muscle plasticity is critically dependent upon nuclear mechanotransduction, which is transduction of exterior physical forces into the nucleus to generate a biological response. Mechanical loading induces nuclear deformation, changes in the nuclear lamina organization, chromatin condensation state, and cell signaling, which ultimately impacts myogenic cell fate decisions. This review summarizes contemporary insights into the mechanisms underlying nuclear force transmission in MCPs and myofibers. We discuss how the cytoskeleton and nuclear reorganizations during myogenic differentiation may affect force transmission and nuclear mechanotransduction. We also discuss how to apply these findings in the context of muscular disorders. Finally, we highlight current gaps in knowledge and opportunities for further research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saline Jabre
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS-974 and Institut de Myologie, 75013 Paris, France;
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kasik (USEK), Jounieh 446, Lebanon;
| | - Walid Hleihel
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kasik (USEK), Jounieh 446, Lebanon;
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh 446, Lebanon
| | - Catherine Coirault
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS-974 and Institut de Myologie, 75013 Paris, France;
- Correspondence:
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Pennacchio FA, Nastały P, Poli A, Maiuri P. Tailoring Cellular Function: The Contribution of the Nucleus in Mechanotransduction. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 8:596746. [PMID: 33490050 PMCID: PMC7820809 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.596746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells sense a variety of different mechanochemical stimuli and promptly react to such signals by reshaping their morphology and adapting their structural organization and tensional state. Cell reactions to mechanical stimuli arising from the local microenvironment, mechanotransduction, play a crucial role in many cellular functions in both physiological and pathological conditions. To decipher this complex process, several studies have been undertaken to develop engineered materials and devices as tools to properly control cell mechanical state and evaluate cellular responses. Recent reports highlight how the nucleus serves as an important mechanosensor organelle and governs cell mechanoresponse. In this review, we will introduce the basic mechanisms linking cytoskeleton organization to the nucleus and how this reacts to mechanical properties of the cell microenvironment. We will also discuss how perturbations of nucleus-cytoskeleton connections, affecting mechanotransduction, influence health and disease. Moreover, we will present some of the main technological tools used to characterize and perturb the nuclear mechanical state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio A. Pennacchio
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research) Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), Milan, Italy
| | - Paulina Nastały
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research) Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Experimental Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Alessandro Poli
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research) Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Maiuri
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research) Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), Milan, Italy
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29
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Emerging roles of lamins and DNA damage repair mechanisms in ovarian cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:2317-2333. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20200713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Lamins are type V intermediate filament proteins which are ubiquitously present in all metazoan cells providing a platform for binding of chromatin and related proteins, thereby serving a wide range of nuclear functions including DNA damage repair. Altered expression of lamins in different subtypes of cancer is evident from researches worldwide. But whether cancer is a consequence of this change or this change is a consequence of cancer is a matter of future investigation. However changes in the expression levels of lamins is reported to have direct or indirect association with cancer progression or have regulatory roles in common neoplastic symptoms like higher nuclear deformability, increased genomic instability and reduced susceptibility to DNA damaging agents. It has already been proved that loss of A type lamin positively regulates cathepsin L, eventually leading to degradation of several DNA damage repair proteins, hence impairing DNA damage repair pathways and increasing genomic instability. It is established in ovarian cancer, that the extent of alteration in nuclear morphology can determine the degree of genetic changes and thus can be utilized to detect low to high form of serous carcinoma. In this review, we have focused on ovarian cancer which is largely caused by genomic alterations in the DNA damage response pathways utilizing proteins like RAD51, BRCA1, 53BP1 which are regulated by lamins. We have elucidated the current understanding of lamin expression in ovarian cancer and its implications in the regulation of DNA damage response pathways that ultimately result in telomere deformation and genomic instability.
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30
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Isolated nuclei stiffen in response to low intensity vibration. J Biomech 2020; 111:110012. [PMID: 32932075 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.110012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus, central to all cellular activity, relies on both direct mechanical input and its molecular transducers to sense and respond to external stimuli. While it has been shown that isolated nuclei can adapt to applied force ex vivo, the mechanisms governing nuclear mechanoadaptation in response to physiologic forces in vivo remain unclear. To investigate nuclear mechanoadaptation in cells, we developed an atomic force microscopy (AFM) based procedure to probe live nuclei isolated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) following the application of low intensity vibration (LIV) to determine whether nuclear stiffness increases as a result of LIV. Results indicated that isolated nuclei were, on average, 30% softer than nuclei tested within intact MSCs prior to LIV. When the nucleus was isolated following LIV (0.7 g, 90 Hz, 20 min) applied four times (4×) separated by 1 h intervals, stiffness of isolated nuclei increased 75% compared to non-LIV controls. LIV-induced nuclear stiffening required functional Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex, but was not accompanied by increased levels of the nuclear envelope proteins LaminA/C or Sun-2. While depleting LaminA/C or Sun-1&2 resulted in either a 47% or 39% increased heterochromatin to nuclear area ratio in isolated nuclei, the heterochromatin to nuclear area ratio was decreased by 25% in LIV-treated nuclei compared to controls, indicating LIV-induced changes in the heterochromatin structure. Overall, our findings indicate that increased apparent cell stiffness in response to exogenous mechanical challenge of MSCs in the form of LIV is in part retained by increased nuclear stiffness and changes in heterochromatin structure.
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31
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Hobson CM, Kern M, O'Brien ET, Stephens AD, Falvo MR, Superfine R. Correlating nuclear morphology and external force with combined atomic force microscopy and light sheet imaging separates roles of chromatin and lamin A/C in nuclear mechanics. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1788-1801. [PMID: 32267206 DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.10.942581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclei are often under external stress, be it during migration through tight constrictions or compressive pressure by the actin cap, and the mechanical properties of nuclei govern their subsequent deformations. Both altered mechanical properties of nuclei and abnormal nuclear morphologies are hallmarks of a variety of disease states. Little work, however, has been done to link specific changes in nuclear shape to external forces. Here, we utilize a combined atomic force microscope and light sheet microscope to show SKOV3 nuclei exhibit a two-regime force response that correlates with changes in nuclear volume and surface area, allowing us to develop an empirical model of nuclear deformation. Our technique further decouples the roles of chromatin and lamin A/C in compression, showing they separately resist changes in nuclear volume and surface area, respectively; this insight was not previously accessible by Hertzian analysis. A two-material finite element model supports our conclusions. We also observed that chromatin decompaction leads to lower nuclear curvature under compression, which is important for maintaining nuclear compartmentalization and function. The demonstrated link between specific types of nuclear morphological change and applied force will allow researchers to better understand the stress on nuclei throughout various biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Hobson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Megan Kern
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - E Timothy O'Brien
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Andrew D Stephens
- Biology Department, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Michael R Falvo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Richard Superfine
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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32
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Hobson CM, Kern M, O’Brien ET, Stephens AD, Falvo MR, Superfine R. Correlating nuclear morphology and external force with combined atomic force microscopy and light sheet imaging separates roles of chromatin and lamin A/C in nuclear mechanics. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1788-1801. [PMID: 32267206 PMCID: PMC7521857 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-01-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclei are often under external stress, be it during migration through tight constrictions or compressive pressure by the actin cap, and the mechanical properties of nuclei govern their subsequent deformations. Both altered mechanical properties of nuclei and abnormal nuclear morphologies are hallmarks of a variety of disease states. Little work, however, has been done to link specific changes in nuclear shape to external forces. Here, we utilize a combined atomic force microscope and light sheet microscope to show SKOV3 nuclei exhibit a two-regime force response that correlates with changes in nuclear volume and surface area, allowing us to develop an empirical model of nuclear deformation. Our technique further decouples the roles of chromatin and lamin A/C in compression, showing they separately resist changes in nuclear volume and surface area, respectively; this insight was not previously accessible by Hertzian analysis. A two-material finite element model supports our conclusions. We also observed that chromatin decompaction leads to lower nuclear curvature under compression, which is important for maintaining nuclear compartmentalization and function. The demonstrated link between specific types of nuclear morphological change and applied force will allow researchers to better understand the stress on nuclei throughout various biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Hobson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Megan Kern
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - E. Timothy O’Brien
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Andrew D. Stephens
- Biology Department, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Michael R. Falvo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Richard Superfine
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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Stephens AD. Chromatin rigidity provides mechanical and genome protection. Mutat Res 2020; 821:111712. [PMID: 32590202 PMCID: PMC8186544 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2020.111712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus is the organelle in the cell that contains the genome and its associate proteins which is collectively called chromatin. New work has shown that chromatin and its compaction level, dictated largely through histone modification state, provides rigidity to protect and stabilize the nucleus. Alterations in chromatin, its mechanics, and downstream loss of nuclear shape and stability are hallmarks of human disease. Weakened nuclear mechanics and abnormal morphology have been shown to cause rupturing of the nucleus which results in nuclear dysfunction including DNA damage. Thus, the rigidity provided by chromatin to maintain nuclear mechanical stability also provides its own protection from DNA damage via compartmentalization maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Stephens
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, United States.
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Wintner O, Hirsch‐Attas N, Schlossberg M, Brofman F, Friedman R, Kupervaser M, Kitsberg D, Buxboim A. A Unified Linear Viscoelastic Model of the Cell Nucleus Defines the Mechanical Contributions of Lamins and Chromatin. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:1901222. [PMID: 32328409 PMCID: PMC7175345 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201901222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The cell nucleus is constantly subjected to externally applied forces. During metazoan evolution, the nucleus has been optimized to allow physical deformability while protecting the genome under load. Aberrant nucleus mechanics can alter cell migration across narrow spaces in cancer metastasis and immune response and disrupt nucleus mechanosensitivity. Uncovering the mechanical roles of lamins and chromatin is imperative for understanding the implications of physiological forces on cells and nuclei. Lamin-knockout and -rescue fibroblasts and probed nucleus response to physiologically relevant stresses are generated. A minimal viscoelastic model is presented that captures dynamic resistance across different cell types, lamin composition, phosphorylation states, and chromatin condensation. The model is conserved at low and high loading and is validated by micropipette aspiration and nanoindentation rheology. A time scale emerges that separates between dominantly elastic and dominantly viscous regimes. While lamin-A and lamin-B1 contribute to nucleus stiffness, viscosity is specified mostly by lamin-A. Elastic and viscous association of lamin-B1 and lamin-A is supported by transcriptional and proteomic profiling analyses. Chromatin decondensation quantified by electron microscopy softens the nucleus unless lamin-A is expressed. A mechanical framework is provided for assessing nucleus response to applied forces in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Wintner
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
- Alexander Grass Center for BioengineeringThe Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and EngineeringJerusalem9190416Israel
| | - Nivi Hirsch‐Attas
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
| | - Miriam Schlossberg
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
| | - Fani Brofman
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
| | - Roy Friedman
- Alexander Grass Center for BioengineeringThe Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and EngineeringJerusalem9190416Israel
| | - Meital Kupervaser
- The de Botton Institute for Protein ProfilingThe Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized MedicineWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot7610001Israel
| | - Danny Kitsberg
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
| | - Amnon Buxboim
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem9190401Israel
- Alexander Grass Center for BioengineeringThe Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and EngineeringJerusalem9190416Israel
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Krause M, Yang FW, te Lindert M, Isermann P, Schepens J, Maas RJA, Venkataraman C, Lammerding J, Madzvamuse A, Hendriks W, te Riet J, Wolf K. Cell migration through three-dimensional confining pores: speed accelerations by deformation and recoil of the nucleus. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180225. [PMID: 31431171 PMCID: PMC6627020 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Directional cell migration in dense three-dimensional (3D) environments critically depends upon shape adaptation and is impeded depending on the size and rigidity of the nucleus. Accordingly, the nucleus is primarily understood as a physical obstacle; however, its pro-migratory functions by stepwise deformation and reshaping remain unclear. Using atomic force spectroscopy, time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and shape change analysis tools, we determined the nuclear size, deformability, morphology and shape change of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells expressing the Fucci cell cycle indicator or being pre-treated with chromatin-decondensating agent TSA. We show oscillating peak accelerations during migration through 3D collagen matrices and microdevices that occur during shape reversion of deformed nuclei (recoil), and increase with confinement. During G1 cell-cycle phase, nucleus stiffness was increased and yielded further increased speed fluctuations together with sustained cell migration rates in confinement when compared to interphase populations or to periods of intrinsic nuclear softening in the S/G2 cell-cycle phase. Likewise, nuclear softening by pharmacological chromatin decondensation or after lamin A/C depletion reduced peak oscillations in confinement. In conclusion, deformation and recoil of the stiff nucleus contributes to saltatory locomotion in dense tissues. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Forces in cancer: interdisciplinary approaches in tumour mechanobiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Krause
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Feng Wei Yang
- Department of Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
| | - Mariska te Lindert
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp Isermann
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jan Schepens
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ralph J. A. Maas
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chandrasekhar Venkataraman
- Department of Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Anotida Madzvamuse
- Department of Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
| | - Wiljan Hendriks
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joost te Riet
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katarina Wolf
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Stephens AD, Banigan EJ, Marko JF. Chromatin's physical properties shape the nucleus and its functions. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 58:76-84. [PMID: 30889417 PMCID: PMC6692209 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The cell nucleus encloses, organizes, and protects the genome. Chromatin maintains nuclear mechanical stability and shape in coordination with lamins and the cytoskeleton. Abnormal nuclear shape is a diagnostic marker for human diseases, and it can cause nuclear dysfunction. Chromatin mechanics underlies this link, as alterations to chromatin and its physical properties can disrupt or rescue nuclear shape. The cell can regulate nuclear shape through mechanotransduction pathways that sense and respond to extracellular cues, thus modulating chromatin compaction and rigidity. These findings reveal how chromatin's physical properties can regulate cellular function and drive abnormal nuclear morphology and dysfunction in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Stephens
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States.
| | - Edward J Banigan
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - John F Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States.
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37
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Mierke CT. The matrix environmental and cell mechanical properties regulate cell migration and contribute to the invasive phenotype of cancer cells. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2019; 82:064602. [PMID: 30947151 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ab1628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The minimal structural unit of a solid tumor is a single cell or a cellular compartment such as the nucleus. A closer look inside the cells reveals that there are functional compartments or even structural domains determining the overall properties of a cell such as the mechanical phenotype. The mechanical interaction of these living cells leads to the complex organization such as compartments, tissues and organs of organisms including mammals. In contrast to passive non-living materials, living cells actively respond to the mechanical perturbations occurring in their microenvironment during diseases such as fibrosis and cancer. The transformation of single cancer cells in highly aggressive and hence malignant cancer cells during malignant cancer progression encompasses the basement membrane crossing, the invasion of connective tissue, the stroma microenvironments and transbarrier migration, which all require the immediate interaction of the aggressive and invasive cancer cells with the surrounding extracellular matrix environment including normal embedded neighboring cells. All these steps of the metastatic pathway seem to involve mechanical interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment. The pathology of cancer due to a broad heterogeneity of cancer types is still not fully understood. Hence it is necessary to reveal the signaling pathways such as mechanotransduction pathways that seem to be commonly involved in the development and establishment of the metastatic and mechanical phenotype in several carcinoma cells. We still do not know whether there exist distinct metastatic genes regulating the progression of tumors. These metastatic genes may then be activated either during the progression of cancer by themselves on their migration path or in earlier stages of oncogenesis through activated oncogenes or inactivated tumor suppressor genes, both of which promote the metastatic phenotype. In more detail, the adhesion of cancer cells to their surrounding stroma induces the generation of intracellular contraction forces that deform their microenvironments by alignment of fibers. The amplitude of these forces can adapt to the mechanical properties of the microenvironment. Moreover, the adhesion strength of cancer cells seems to determine whether a cancer cell is able to migrate through connective tissue or across barriers such as the basement membrane or endothelial cell linings of blood or lymph vessels in order to metastasize. In turn, exposure of adherent cancer cells to physical forces, such as shear flow in vessels or compression forces around tumors, reinforces cell adhesion, regulates cell contractility and restructures the ordering of the local stroma matrix that leads subsequently to secretion of crosslinking proteins or matrix degrading enzymes. Hence invasive cancer cells alter the mechanical properties of their microenvironment. From a mechanobiological point-of-view, the recognized physical signals are transduced into biochemical signaling events that guide cellular responses such as cancer progression after the malignant transition of cancer cells from an epithelial and non-motile phenotype to a mesenchymal and motile (invasive) phenotype providing cellular motility. This transition can also be described as the physical attempt to relate this cancer cell transitional behavior to a T1 phase transition such as the jamming to unjamming transition. During the invasion of cancer cells, cell adaptation occurs to mechanical alterations of the local stroma, such as enhanced stroma upon fibrosis, and therefore we need to uncover underlying mechano-coupling and mechano-regulating functional processes that reinforce the invasion of cancer cells. Moreover, these mechanisms may also be responsible for the awakening of dormant residual cancer cells within the microenvironment. Physicists were initially tempted to consider the steps of the cancer metastasis cascade as single events caused by a single mechanical alteration of the overall properties of the cancer cell. However, this general and simple view has been challenged by the finding that several mechanical properties of cancer cells and their microenvironment influence each other and continuously contribute to tumor growth and cancer progression. In addition, basement membrane crossing, cell invasion and transbarrier migration during cancer progression is explained in physical terms by applying physical principles on living cells regardless of their complexity and individual differences of cancer types. As a novel approach, the impact of the individual microenvironment surrounding cancer cells is also included. Moreover, new theories and models are still needed to understand why certain cancers are malignant and aggressive, while others stay still benign. However, due to the broad variety of cancer types, there may be various pathways solely suitable for specific cancer types and distinct steps in the process of cancer progression. In this review, physical concepts and hypotheses of cancer initiation and progression including cancer cell basement membrane crossing, invasion and transbarrier migration are presented and discussed from a biophysical point-of-view. In addition, the crosstalk between cancer cells and a chronically altered microenvironment, such as fibrosis, is discussed including the basic physical concepts of fibrosis and the cellular responses to mechanical stress caused by the mechanically altered microenvironment. Here, is highlighted how biophysical approaches, both experimentally and theoretically, have an impact on classical hallmarks of cancer and fibrosis and how they contribute to the understanding of the regulation of cancer and its progression by sensing and responding to the physical environmental properties through mechanotransduction processes. Finally, this review discusses various physical models of cell migration such as blebbing, nuclear piston, protrusive force and unjamming transition migration modes and how they contribute to cancer progression. Moreover, these cellular migration modes are influenced by microenvironmental perturbances such as fibrosis that can induce mechanical alterations in cancer cells, which in turn may impact the environment. Hence, the classical hallmarks of cancer need to be refined by including biomechanical properties of cells, cell clusters and tissues and their microenvironment to understand mechano-regulatory processes within cancer cells and the entire organism.
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Clements CS, Bikkul MU, Ofosu W, Eskiw C, Tree D, Makarov E, Kill IR, Bridger JM. Presence and distribution of progerin in HGPS cells is ameliorated by drugs that impact on the mevalonate and mTOR pathways. Biogerontology 2019; 20:337-358. [PMID: 31041622 PMCID: PMC6535420 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-019-09807-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, premature ageing syndrome in children. HGPS is normally caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene, encoding nuclear lamin A. The classical mutation in HGPS leads to the production of a toxic truncated version of lamin A, progerin, which retains a farnesyl group. Farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTI), pravastatin and zoledronic acid have been used in clinical trials to target the mevalonate pathway in HGPS patients to inhibit farnesylation of progerin, in order to reduce its toxicity. Some other compounds that have been suggested as treatments include rapamycin, IGF1 and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). We have analysed the distribution of prelamin A, lamin A, lamin A/C, progerin, lamin B1 and B2 in nuclei of HGPS cells before and after treatments with these drugs, an FTI and a geranylgeranyltransferase inhibitor (GGTI) and FTI with pravastatin and zoledronic acid in combination. Confirming other studies prelamin A, lamin A, progerin and lamin B2 staining was different between control and HGPS fibroblasts. The drugs that reduced progerin staining were FTI, pravastatin, zoledronic acid and rapamycin. However, drugs affecting the mevalonate pathway increased prelamin A, with only FTI reducing internal prelamin A foci. The distribution of lamin A in HGPS cells was improved with treatments of FTI, pravastatin and FTI + GGTI. All treatments reduced the number of cells displaying internal speckles of lamin A/C and lamin B2. Drugs targeting the mevalonate pathway worked best for progerin reduction, with zoledronic acid removing internal progerin speckles. Rapamycin and NAC, which impact on the MTOR pathway, both reduced both pools of progerin without increasing prelamin A in HGPS cell nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig S Clements
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Mehmet U Bikkul
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Wendy Ofosu
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Christopher Eskiw
- Food and Bioproduct Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7B 5A8, Canada
| | - David Tree
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Evgeny Makarov
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Ian R Kill
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Joanna M Bridger
- Progeria Research Team, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute for Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK. .,Genome Engineering and Maintenance Network, Ageing Studies Theme, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK.
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Zhang Q, Tamashunas AC, Agrawal A, Torbati M, Katiyar A, Dickinson RB, Lammerding J, Lele TP. Local, transient tensile stress on the nuclear membrane causes membrane rupture. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:899-906. [PMID: 30566037 PMCID: PMC6589786 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-09-0604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell migration through narrow constrictions generates compressive stresses on the nucleus that deform it and cause rupture of nuclear membranes. Nuclear membrane rupture allows uncontrolled exchange between nuclear and cytoplasmic contents. Local tensile stresses can also cause nuclear deformations, but whether such deformations are accompanied by nuclear membrane rupture is unknown. Here we used a direct force probe to locally deform the nucleus by applying a transient tensile stress to the nuclear membrane. We found that a transient (∼0.2 s) deformation (∼1% projected area strain) in normal mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A cells) was sufficient to cause rupture of the nuclear membrane. Nuclear membrane rupture scaled with the magnitude of nuclear deformation and the magnitude of applied tensile stress. Comparison of diffusive fluxes of nuclear probes between wild-type and lamin-depleted MCF-10A cells revealed that lamin A/C, but not lamin B2, protects the nuclear membranes against rupture from tensile stress. Our results suggest that transient nuclear deformations typically caused by local tensile stresses are sufficient to cause nuclear membrane rupture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Andrew C. Tamashunas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Ashutosh Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Mehdi Torbati
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Aditya Katiyar
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Richard B. Dickinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Tanmay P. Lele
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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40
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Balakrishnan S, Mathad SS, Sharma G, Raju SR, Reddy UB, Das S, Ananthasuresh GK. A Nondimensional Model Reveals Alterations in Nuclear Mechanics upon Hepatitis C Virus Replication. Biophys J 2019; 116:1328-1339. [PMID: 30879645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphology of the nucleus is an important regulator of gene expression. Nuclear morphology is in turn a function of the forces acting on it and the mechanical properties of the nuclear envelope. Here, we present a two-parameter, nondimensional mechanical model of the nucleus that reveals a relationship among nuclear shape parameters, such as projected area, surface area, and volume. Our model fits the morphology of individual nuclei and predicts the ratio between forces and modulus in each nucleus. We analyzed the changes in nuclear morphology of liver cells due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection using this model. The model predicted a decrease in the elastic modulus of the nuclear envelope and an increase in the pre-tension in cortical actin as the causes for the change in nuclear morphology. These predictions were validated biomechanically by showing that liver cells expressing HCV proteins possessed enhanced cellular stiffness and reduced nuclear stiffness. Concomitantly, cells expressing HCV proteins showed downregulation of lamin-A,C and upregulation of β-actin, corroborating the predictions of the model. Our modeling assumptions are broadly applicable to adherent, monolayer cell cultures, making the model amenable to investigate changes in nuclear mechanics due to other stimuli by merely measuring nuclear morphology. Toward this, we present two techniques, graphical and numerical, to use our model for predicting physical changes in the nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreenath Balakrishnan
- BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Suma S Mathad
- Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Geetika Sharma
- Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Shilpa R Raju
- Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Uma B Reddy
- Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Saumitra Das
- BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
| | - G K Ananthasuresh
- BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
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41
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Lele TP, Dickinson RB, Gundersen GG. Mechanical principles of nuclear shaping and positioning. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:3330-3342. [PMID: 30194270 PMCID: PMC6168261 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201804052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Positioning and shaping the nucleus represents a mechanical challenge for the migrating cell because of its large size and resistance to deformation. Cells shape and position the nucleus by transmitting forces from the cytoskeleton onto the nuclear surface. This force transfer can occur through specialized linkages between the nuclear envelope and the cytoskeleton. In response, the nucleus can deform and/or it can move. Nuclear movement will occur when there is a net differential in mechanical force across the nucleus, while nuclear deformation will occur when mechanical forces overcome the mechanical resistance of the various structures that comprise the nucleus. In this perspective, we review current literature on the sources and magnitude of cellular forces exerted on the nucleus, the nuclear envelope proteins involved in transferring cellular forces, and the contribution of different nuclear structural components to the mechanical response of the nucleus to these forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmay P Lele
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | | | - Gregg G Gundersen
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
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42
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Khan ZS, Santos JM, Hussain F. Aggressive prostate cancer cell nuclei have reduced stiffness. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:014102. [PMID: 29333204 PMCID: PMC5750055 DOI: 10.1063/1.5019728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that highly metastatic cancer cells have softer nuclei and hence would travel faster through confining environments. Our goal was to prove this untested hypothesis for prostate cells. Our nuclear creep experiments using a microfluidic channel with a narrow constriction show that stiffness of aggressive immortalized prostate cancer nuclei is significantly lower than that of immortalized normal cell nuclei and hence can be a convenient malignancy marker. Nuclear stiffness is found to be the highest for cells expressing high levels of lamin A/C but lowest for cells expressing low lamin A/C levels. Decreased chromatin condensation found in softer nuclei suggests that the former can also be a marker for aggressive cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina S Khan
- Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Julianna M Santos
- Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Fazle Hussain
- Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
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Abstract
Biological cells sample their surrounding microenvironments using nanoscale force sensors on the cell surfaces. These surface-based force and stress sensors generate physical and chemical responses inside the cell. The inherently well-connected cytoskeleton and its physical contacts with the force elements on the nuclear membrane lead these physicochemical responses to cascade all the way inside the cell nucleus, physically altering the nuclear state. These physical alterations of the cell nucleus, through yet-unknown complex steps elicit physical and functional response from the chromatin in the form of altered gene expression profiles. This mechanism of force/stress sensing by the cell and then its nuclear response has been shown to play a vital role in maintaining robust cellular homeostasis, controlling gene expression profiles during developmental phases as well as cell differentiation. Over the last few years, there has been appreciable progress toward identification of the molecular players responsible for force sensing. However, the actual sensing mechanism of cell surface bound force sensors and more importantly cascading of the signals, both physical (via cytosolic force sensing elements such as microtubule and actin framework) and chemical (cascade of biochemical signaling from cell surface to nuclear surface and further to the chromatin), inside the cell is poorly understood. In this chapter, we present a review of the currently known molecular players in cellular as well as nuclear force sensing repertoire and their possible mechanistic aspects. We also introduce various biophysical concepts that are used to describe the force/stress sensing and response of a cell. We hope this will help asking clearer questions and designing pointed experiments for better understanding of the force-dependent design principles of the cell surface, nuclear surface, and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidisha Sinha
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, WB, India
| | - Arikta Biswas
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, WB, India
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44
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Abstract
The cell nucleus houses, protects, and arranges the genome within the cell. Therefore, nuclear mechanics and morphology are important for dictating gene regulation, and these properties are perturbed in many human diseases, such as cancers and progerias. The field of nuclear mechanics has long been dominated by studies of the nuclear lamina, the intermediate filament shell residing just beneath the nuclear membrane. However, a growing body of work shows that chromatin and chromatin-related factors within the nucleus are an essential part of the mechanical response of the cell nucleus to forces. Recently, our group demonstrated that chromatin and the lamina provide distinct mechanical contributions to nuclear mechanical response. The lamina is indeed important for robust response to large, whole-nucleus stresses, but chromatin dominates the short-extension response. These findings offer a clarifying perspective on varied nuclear mechanics measurements and observations, and they suggest several new exciting possibilities for understanding nuclear morphology, organization, and mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Stephens
- a Department of Molecular Biosciences , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois , USA
| | - Edward J Banigan
- b Department of Physics and Astronomy , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois , USA.,c Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , Massachusetts
| | - John F Marko
- a Department of Molecular Biosciences , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois , USA.,b Department of Physics and Astronomy , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois , USA
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45
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Banigan EJ, Stephens AD, Marko JF. Mechanics and Buckling of Biopolymeric Shells and Cell Nuclei. Biophys J 2017; 113:1654-1663. [PMID: 29045860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We study a Brownian dynamics simulation model of a biopolymeric shell deformed by axial forces exerted at opposing poles. The model exhibits two distinct, linear force-extension regimes, with the response to small tensions governed by linear elasticity and the response to large tensions governed by an effective spring constant that scales with radius as R-0.25. When extended beyond the initial linear elastic regime, the shell undergoes a hysteretic, temperature-dependent buckling transition. We experimentally observe this buckling transition by stretching and imaging the lamina of isolated cell nuclei. Furthermore, the interior contents of the shell can alter mechanical response and buckling, which we show by simulating a model for the nucleus that quantitatively agrees with our micromanipulation experiments stretching individual nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Banigan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
| | - Andrew D Stephens
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - John F Marko
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
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46
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Fal K, Asnacios A, Chabouté ME, Hamant O. Nuclear envelope: a new frontier in plant mechanosensing? Biophys Rev 2017; 9:389-403. [PMID: 28801801 PMCID: PMC5578935 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0302-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In animals, it is now well established that forces applied at the cell surface are propagated through the cytoskeleton to the nucleus, leading to deformations of the nuclear structure and, potentially, to modification of gene expression. Consistently, altered nuclear mechanics has been related to many genetic disorders, such as muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy and progeria. In plants, the integration of mechanical signals in cell and developmental biology has also made great progress. Yet, while the link between cell wall stresses and cytoskeleton is consolidated, such cortical mechanical cues have not been integrated with the nucleoskeleton. Here, we propose to take inspiration from studies on animal nuclei to identify relevant methods amenable to probing nucleus mechanics and deformation in plant cells, with a focus on microrheology. To identify potential molecular targets, we also compare the players at the nuclear envelope, namely lamina and LINC complex, in both plant and animal nuclei. Understanding how mechanical signals are transduced to the nucleus across kingdoms will likely have essential implications in development (e.g. how mechanical cues add robustness to gene expression patterns), in the nucleoskeleton-cytoskeleton nexus (e.g. how stress is propagated in turgid/walled cells), as well as in transcriptional control, chromatin biology and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Fal
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, 69342, Lyon, France
| | - Atef Asnacios
- Laboratoire Matières et Systèmes Complexes, Université Paris-Diderot and CNRS, UMR 7057, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Edith Chabouté
- Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Hamant
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, 69342, Lyon, France.
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47
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Shahin V. Strategic disruption of nuclear pores structure, integrity and barrier for nuclear apoptosis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 68:85-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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48
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Cartagena-Rivera AX, Logue JS, Waterman CM, Chadwick RS. Actomyosin Cortical Mechanical Properties in Nonadherent Cells Determined by Atomic Force Microscopy. Biophys J 2017; 110:2528-2539. [PMID: 27276270 PMCID: PMC4906360 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The organization of filamentous actin and myosin II molecular motor contractility is known to modify the mechanical properties of the cell cortical actomyosin cytoskeleton. Here we describe a novel method, to our knowledge, for using force spectroscopy approach curves with tipless cantilevers to determine the actomyosin cortical tension, elastic modulus, and intracellular pressure of nonadherent cells. We validated the method by measuring the surface tension of water in oil microdrops deposited on a glass surface. We extracted an average tension of T ∼ 20.25 nN/μm, which agrees with macroscopic experimental methods. We then measured cortical mechanical properties in nonadherent human foreskin fibroblasts and THP-1 human monocytes before and after pharmacological perturbations of actomyosin activity. Our results show that myosin II activity and actin polymerization increase cortex tension and intracellular pressure, whereas branched actin networks decreased them. Interestingly, myosin II activity stiffens the cortex and branched actin networks soften it, but actin polymerization has no effect on cortex stiffness. Our method is capable of detecting changes in cell mechanical properties in response to perturbations of the cytoskeleton, allowing characterization with physically relevant parameters. Altogether, this simple method should be of broad application for deciphering the molecular regulation of cell cortical mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander X Cartagena-Rivera
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Section on Auditory Mechanics, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jeremy S Logue
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Section on Auditory Mechanics, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Clare M Waterman
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Richard S Chadwick
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Section on Auditory Mechanics, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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49
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Nuclear pore complex tethers to the cytoskeleton. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 68:52-58. [PMID: 28676424 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The nuclear envelope is tethered to the cytoskeleton. The best known attachments of all elements of the cytoskeleton are via the so-called LINC complex. However, the nuclear pore complexes, which mediate the transport of soluble and membrane bound molecules, are also linked to the microtubule network, primarily via motor proteins (dynein and kinesins) which are linked, most importantly, to the cytoplasmic filament protein of the nuclear pore complex, Nup358, by the adaptor BicD2. The evidence for such linkages and possible roles in nuclear migration, cell cycle control, nuclear transport and cell architecture are discussed.
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Liu L, Luo Q, Sun J, Wang A, Shi Y, Ju Y, Morita Y, Song G. Decreased nuclear stiffness via FAK-ERK1/2 signaling is necessary for osteopontin-promoted migration of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Exp Cell Res 2017; 355:172-181. [PMID: 28392353 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Migration of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) plays an important role in many physiological and pathological settings, including wound healing. During the migration of BMSCs through interstitial tissues, the movement of the nucleus must be coordinated with the cytoskeletal dynamics, which in turn affects the cell migration efficiency. Our previous study indicated that osteopontin (OPN) significantly promotes the migration of rat BMSCs. However, the nuclear behaviors and involved molecular mechanisms in OPN-mediated BMSC migration are largely unclear. In the present study, using an atomic force microscope (AFM), we found that OPN could decrease the nuclear stiffness of BMSCs and reduce the expression of lamin A/C, which is the main determinant of nuclear stiffness. Increased lamin A/C expression attenuates BMSC migration by increasing nuclear stiffness. Decreased lamin A/C expression promotes BMSC migration by decreasing nuclear stiffness. Furthermore, OPN promotes BMSC migration by diminishing lamin A/C expression and decreasing nuclear stiffness via the FAK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. This study provides strong evidence for the role of nuclear mechanics in BMSC migration as well as new insight into the molecular mechanisms of OPN-promoted BMSC migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinghui Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
| | - Aoli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yisong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yang Ju
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
| | - Yasuyuki Morita
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
| | - Guanbin Song
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
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