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Pinchiaroli J, Saldanha R, Patteson AE, Robertson-Anderson RM, Gurmessa BJ. Switchable microscale stress response of actin-vimentin composites emerges from scale-dependent interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.07.597906. [PMID: 38895280 PMCID: PMC11185688 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.597906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the mammalian cell regulate many cellular functions and are largely dictated by the cytoskeleton, a composite network of protein filaments, including actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Interactions between these distinct filaments give rise to emergent mechanical properties that are difficult to generate synthetically, and recent studies have made great strides in advancing our understanding of the mechanical interplay between actin and microtubule filaments. While intermediate filaments play critical roles in the stress response of cells, their effect on the rheological properties of the composite cytoskeleton remains poorly understood. Here, we use optical tweezers microrheology to measure the linear viscoelastic properties and nonlinear stress response of composites of actin and vimentin with varying molar ratios of actin to vimentin. We reveal a surprising, nearly opposite effect of actin-vimentin network mechanics compared to single-component networks in the linear versus nonlinear regimes. Namely, the linear elastic plateau modulus and zero-shear viscosity are markedly reduced in composites compared to single-component networks of actin or vimentin, whereas the initial response force and stiffness are maximized in composites versus single-component networks in the nonlinear regime. While these emergent trends are indicative of distinct interactions between actin and vimentin, nonlinear stiffening and longtime stress response appear to both be dictated primarily by actin, at odds with previous bulk rheology studies. We demonstrate that these complex, scale-dependent effects arise from the varied contributions of network density, filament stiffness, non-specific interactions, and poroelasticity to the mechanical response at different spatiotemporal scales. Cells may harness this complex behavior to facilitate distinct stress responses at different scales and in response to different stimuli to allow for their hallmark multifunctionality.
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Link R, Jaggy M, Bastmeyer M, Schwarz US. Modelling cell shape in 3D structured environments: A quantitative comparison with experiments. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011412. [PMID: 38574170 PMCID: PMC11020930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell shape plays a fundamental role in many biological processes, including adhesion, migration, division and development, but it is not clear which shape model best predicts three-dimensional cell shape in structured environments. Here, we compare different modelling approaches with experimental data. The shapes of single mesenchymal cells cultured in custom-made 3D scaffolds were compared by a Fourier method with surfaces that minimize area under the given adhesion and volume constraints. For the minimized surface model, we found marked differences to the experimentally observed cell shapes, which necessitated the use of more advanced shape models. We used different variants of the cellular Potts model, which effectively includes both surface and bulk contributions. The simulations revealed that the Hamiltonian with linear area energy outperformed the elastic area constraint in accurately modelling the 3D shapes of cells in structured environments. Explicit modelling the nucleus did not improve the accuracy of the simulated cell shapes. Overall, our work identifies effective methods for accurately modelling cellular shapes in complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabea Link
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mona Jaggy
- Zoological Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Martin Bastmeyer
- Zoological Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ulrich S. Schwarz
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Rölleke U, Kumari P, Meyer R, Köster S. The unique biomechanics of intermediate filaments - From single filaments to cells and tissues. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 85:102263. [PMID: 37871499 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Together with actin filaments and microtubules, intermediate filaments (IFs) constitute the eukaryotic cytoskeleton and each of the three filament types contributes very distinct mechanical properties to this intracellular biopolymer network. IFs assemble hierarchically, rather than polymerizing from nuclei of a small number of monomers or dimers, as is the case with actin filaments and microtubules, respectively. This pathway leads to a molecular architecture specific to IFs and intriguing mechanical and dynamic properties: they are the most flexible cytoskeletal filaments and extremely extensible. Moreover, IFs are very stable against disassembly. Thus, they contribute important properties to cell mechanics, which recently have been investigated with state-of-the-art experimental and computational methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Rölleke
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pallavi Kumari
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ruth Meyer
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Köster
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Germany.
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Pogoda K, Janmey PA. Transmit and protect: The mechanical functions of intermediate filaments. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 85:102281. [PMID: 37984009 PMCID: PMC10753931 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
New aspects of the unique mechanical properties of intermediate filaments (IFs) continue to emerge from studies that illuminate the structure and mechanical response of single filaments, the interaction of intermediate filaments with each other or with other cytoskeletal elements, and the viscoelasticity of the networks that these intermediate filaments form. The relation of purified IF network mechanics to the role of IFs in cells and tissues is a particularly active area, with several new demonstrations of the unique and essential role that intermediate filament networks play in determining the mechanical response of biological materials, especially to large deformations, and the mechanisms by which intermediate filaments protect the nucleus from mechanical stresses that cells and tissues encounter in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Pogoda
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow PL-31-342, Poland
| | - Paul A Janmey
- Institute for Medicine and Engineering, Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
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Kučera O, Gaillard J, Guérin C, Utzschneider C, Théry M, Blanchoin L. Actin Architecture Steers Microtubules in Active Cytoskeletal Composite. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:8584-8591. [PMID: 36279243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Motility assays use surface-immobilized molecular motors to propel cytoskeletal filaments. They have been widely used to characterize motor properties and their impact on cytoskeletal self-organization. Moreover, the motility assays are a promising class of bioinspired active tools for nanotechnological applications. While these assays involve controlling the filament direction and speed, either as a sensory readout or a functional feature, designing a subtle control embedded in the assay is an ongoing challenge. Here, we investigate the interaction between gliding microtubules and networks of actin filaments. We demonstrate that the microtubule's behavior depends on the actin architecture. Both unbranched and branched actin decelerate microtubule gliding; however, an unbranched actin network provides additional guidance and effectively steers the microtubules. This effect, which resembles the recognition of cortical actin by microtubules, is a conceptually new means of controlling the filament gliding with potential application in the design of active materials and cytoskeletal nanodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Kučera
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
| | - Jérémie Gaillard
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
| | - Christophe Guérin
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
| | - Clothilde Utzschneider
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
| | - Manuel Théry
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
- CytoMorpho Lab, Unité de Thérapie Cellulaire, Hôpital Saint Louis/CNRS/CEA, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, Paris75 010, France
| | - Laurent Blanchoin
- CytoMorpho Lab, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA/CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble38 054, France
- CytoMorpho Lab, Unité de Thérapie Cellulaire, Hôpital Saint Louis/CNRS/CEA, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, Paris75 010, France
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