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Bouhrira N, Vite A, Margulies KB. Distinct cytoskeletal regulators of mechanical memory in cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Basic Res Cardiol 2024; 119:277-289. [PMID: 38349539 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-023-01030-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Recognizing that cells "feel" and respond to their mechanical environment, recent studies demonstrate that many cells exhibit a phenomenon of "mechanical memory" in which features induced by prior mechanical cues persist after the mechanical stimulus has ceased. While there is a general recognition that different cell types exhibit different responses to changes in extracellular matrix stiffening, the phenomenon of mechanical memory within myocardial cell types has received little attention to date. To probe the dynamics of mechanical memory in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs), we employed a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) cell culture substrate with tunable and reversible stiffness spanning the range from normal to diseased myocardium. In CFs, using increased cell area and increases in α-smooth muscle actin as markers of cellular responses to matrix stiffening, we found that induction of mechanical memory required seven days of stiff priming. Both induction and maintenance of persistent CF activation were blocked with the F-actin inhibitor cytochalasin D, while inhibitors of microtubule detyrosination had no impact on CFs. In iPSC-CMs, mechanical memory was invoked after only 24 h of stiff priming. Moreover, mechanical memory induction and maintenance were microtubule-dependent in CMs with no dependence on F-actin. Overall, these results identify the distinct temporal dynamics of mechanical memory in CFs and iPSC-CMs with different cytoskeletal mediators responsible for inducing and maintaining the stiffness-activated phenotype. Due to its flexibility, this model is broadly applicable to future studies interrogating mechanotransduction and mechanical memory in the heart and might inform strategies for attenuating the impact of load-induced pathology and excess myocardial stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Bouhrira
- Perelman School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Smilow TRC 11-101, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alexia Vite
- Perelman School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Smilow TRC 11-101, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kenneth B Margulies
- Perelman School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Smilow TRC 11-101, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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2
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Jaddivada S, Gundiah N. Physical biology of cell-substrate interactions under cyclic stretch. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024; 23:433-451. [PMID: 38010479 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01783-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensitive focal adhesion (FA) complexes mediate dynamic interactions between cells and substrates and regulate cellular function. Integrins in FA complexes link substrate ligands to stress fibers (SFs) and aid load transfer and traction generation. We developed a one-dimensional, multi-scale, stochastic finite element model of a fibroblast on a substrate that includes calcium signaling, SF remodeling, and FA dynamics. We linked stochastic dynamics, describing the formation and clustering of integrins to substrate ligands via motor-clutches, to a continuum level SF contractility model at various locations along the cell length. We quantified changes in cellular responses with substrate stiffness, ligand density, and cyclic stretch. Results show that tractions and integrin recruitments varied along the cell length; tractions were maximum at lamellar regions and reduced to zero at the cell center. Optimal substrate stiffness, based on maximum tractions exerted by the cell, shifted toward stiffer substrates at high ligand densities. Mean tractions varied biphasically with substrate stiffness and peaked at the optimal substrate stiffness. Cytosolic calcium increased monotonically with substrate stiffness and accumulated near lamellipodial regions. Cyclic stretch increased the cytosolic calcium, integrin concentrations, and tractions at lamellipodial and intermediate regions on compliant substrates. The optimal substrate stiffness under stretch shifted toward compliant substrates for a given ligand density. Stretch also caused cell deadhesions beyond a critical substrate stiffness. FA's destabilized on stiff substrates under cyclic stretch. An increase in substrate stiffness and cyclic stretch resulted in higher fibroblast contractility. These results show that chemomechanical coupling is essential in mechanosensing responses underlying cell-substrate interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Jaddivada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Namrata Gundiah
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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Wolfram L, Gimpel C, Schwämmle M, Clark SJ, Böhringer D, Schlunck G. The impact of substrate stiffness on morphological, transcriptional and functional aspects in RPE. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7488. [PMID: 38553490 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56661-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the structure and composition of Bruch's membrane (BrM) and loss of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are associated with various ocular diseases, notably age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as several inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). We explored the influence of stiffness as a major BrM characteristic on the RPE transcriptome and morphology. ARPE-19 cells were plated on soft ( E = 30 kPa ) or stiff ( E = 80 kPa ) polyacrylamide gels (PA gels) or standard tissue culture plastic (TCP). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data on differentially expressed small RNAs (sRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were validated by qPCR, immunofluorescence or western blotting. The microRNA (miRNA) fraction of sRNAs grew with substrate stiffness and distinct miRNAs such as miR-204 or miR-222 were differentially expressed. mRNA targets of differentially expressed miRNAs were stably expressed, suggesting a homeostatic effect of miRNAs. mRNA transcription patterns were substrate stiffness-dependent, including components of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor (MITF) and Dicer. These findings highlight the relevance of mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in cell culture experiments, especially those focusing on ECM-related diseases, such as AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Wolfram
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- Department for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Clara Gimpel
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Schlosspark-Klinik Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
| | - Melanie Schwämmle
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon J Clark
- Department for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Daniel Böhringer
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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Nguyen J, Wang L, Lei W, Hu Y, Gulati N, Chavez-Madero C, Ahn H, Ginsberg HJ, Krawetz R, Brandt M, Betz T, Gilbert PM. Culture substrate stiffness impacts human myoblast contractility-dependent proliferation and nuclear envelope wrinkling. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261666. [PMID: 38345101 PMCID: PMC11033523 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how biophysical and biochemical microenvironmental cues together influence the regenerative activities of muscle stem cells and their progeny is crucial in strategizing remedies for pathological dysregulation of these cues in aging and disease. In this study, we investigated the cell-level influences of extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands and culture substrate stiffness on primary human myoblast contractility and proliferation within 16 h of plating and found that tethered fibronectin led to stronger stiffness-dependent responses compared to laminin and collagen. A proteome-wide analysis further uncovered cell metabolism, cytoskeletal and nuclear component regulation distinctions between cells cultured on soft and stiff substrates. Interestingly, we found that softer substrates increased the incidence of myoblasts with a wrinkled nucleus, and that the extent of wrinkling could predict Ki67 (also known as MKI67) expression. Nuclear wrinkling and Ki67 expression could be controlled by pharmacological manipulation of cellular contractility, offering a potential cellular mechanism. These results provide new insights into the regulation of human myoblast stiffness-dependent contractility response by ECM ligands and highlight a link between myoblast contractility and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Nguyen
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E2, Canada
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Lu Wang
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Wen Lei
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Yechen Hu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Nitya Gulati
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E2, Canada
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Carolina Chavez-Madero
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E2, Canada
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Henry Ahn
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Saint Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Howard J. Ginsberg
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Saint Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Roman Krawetz
- McCaig Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Matthias Brandt
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Timo Betz
- Third Institute of Physics – Biophysics, Georg August University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Penney M. Gilbert
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E2, Canada
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
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Guo H, Lan M, Zhang Q, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Chen W. [Piezo1 Mediates the Regulation of Substrate Stiffness on Primary Cilia in Chondrocytes]. Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2024; 55:67-73. [PMID: 38322536 PMCID: PMC10839480 DOI: 10.12182/20240160502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Objective To investigate how substrate stiffness regulates the morphology of primary cilia in chondrocytes and to illustrate how Piezo1 mediates the morphology regulation of primary cilia by substrate stiffness. Methods Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) curing agent and the main agent (Dow Corning, Beijing, China) were mixed at the ratio of 1∶10 (stiff), 1∶50 (medium stiffness), and 1∶70 (soft), respectively, to prepare substrate films with the thickness of 1 mm at different levels of stiffness, including stiff substrate of (2.21±0.12) MPa, medium-stiffness substrate of (54.47±6.06) kPa, and soft substrate of (2.13±0.10) kPa. Chondrocytes were cultured with the substrates of three different levels of stiffness. Then, the cells were treated with Tubastatin A (Tub A) to inhibit histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), Piezo1 activator Yoda1, and inhibitor GsMTx4, respectively. The effects of HDAC6, Yoda1, and GsMTx4 on chondrocyte morphology and the length of primary cilia were analyzed through immunofluorescence staining. Results The stiff substrate increased the spread area of the chondrocytes. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the cytoskeleton and the nuclear area of the cells on the stiff substrate were significantly increased (P<0.05) and the primary cilia were significantly extended (P<0.05) compared with those on the medium-stiffness and soft substrates. However, the presence rate of primary cilia was not affected. The HDAC6 activity of chondrocytes increased with the decrease in substrate stiffness. When the activity of HDAC6 was inhibited, the cytoskeletal area, the nuclei area, and the primary cilium length were increased more significantly on the stiff substrate (P<0.05). Further testing showed that Piezo1 activator and inhibitor could regulate the activity of HDAC6 in chondrocytes, and that the length of primary cilia was significantly increased after treatment with the activator Yoda1 (P<0.05). On the other hand, the length of primary cilia was significantly shortened on the stiff substrate after treatment with the inhibitor GsMTx4 (P<0.05). Conclusion Both substrate stiffness and Piezo1 may affect the morphology of chondrocyte primary cilia by regulating HDAC6 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaqing Guo
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Minhua Lan
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- ( 030009) Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030009, China
| | - Quanyou Zhang
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- ( 030009) Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030009, China
| | - Weiyi Chen
- ( 030024) College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
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6
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Nayak AN, Hirashima T. Tug-of-war via ERK signaling pathway for tissue organization - ERK activation to force generation. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 85:102249. [PMID: 37783032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) plays a crucial role in regulating collective cell behaviors observed in diverse biological phenomena. Emerging studies have shed light on the involvement of the ERK signaling pathway in the reception and generation of mechanical forces, thereby governing local mechanical interactions within multicellular tissues. Although limited in number, studies have provided insights into how ERK-mediated mechanical interactions contribute to multicellular organization. Here we explore the impact of ERK-mediated mechanical interactions on tissue morphogenesis, cell extrusion in homeostasis, and their interplay with the physical microenvironments of the extracellular matrix. We conclude that the coupling system of ERK activity with mechanical forces offers a promising avenue to unravel the emergent collective dynamics underlying tissue organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tsuyoshi Hirashima
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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7
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Schutte SC, Ghosh D, Moset Zupan A, Warwar R, Dawson MR. Differential Response to Mechanical Cues in Uterine Fibroid Versus Paired Myometrial Cells. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:3305-3314. [PMID: 37253935 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01267-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids, are common, benign tumors for which hysterectomy is the only definitive treatment. The extracellular matrix of fibroids is disorganized and stiffer than the surrounding myometrial tissue. To understand how stiffness affects fibroid cells, patient-matched fibroid and myometrial cells were cultured on substrates with stiffnesses varying from 0.2 to 150 kPa. Fibroid cells grew more slowly than myometrial cells overall, and only the myometrial cells altered their growth rate in response to stiffness. In both cell types, cell proliferation decreased with inhibition of PI3K and increased with inhibition of IGF-1. The cellular area was greater for the fibroid cells. The only significant effect of stiffness on the cell area was between the 0.2 and 64 kPa substrates, and this was true for both cell types. To investigate intracellular stiffness, intracellular particle tracking microrheology was used. Fibroid cells exhibited a more than 100-fold increase in elastic modulus at a frequency of 1 Hz in response to the addition of external stress, while myometrial cells showed little change in elastic modulus. Overall, the responses of both cells followed similar trends in response to stiffness and inhibitors, although the response was attenuated in the fibroid cells. The changes that were demonstrated by the change in intracellular stiffness with response to compression suggest that other mechanical forces may provide insight into differences in the two cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Schutte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - D Ghosh
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - A Moset Zupan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - R Warwar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - M R Dawson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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Jiang T, Tang XY, Mao Y, Zhou YQ, Wang JJ, Li RM, Xie XR, Zhang HM, Fang B, Ouyang NJ, Tang GH. Matrix mechanics regulate the polarization state of bone marrow-derived neutrophils through the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. Acta Biomater 2023; 168:159-173. [PMID: 37467837 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Matrix mechanics regulate essential cell behaviors through mechanotransduction, and as one of its most important elements, substrate stiffness was reported to regulate cell functions such as viability, communication, migration, and differentiation. Neutrophils (Neus) predominate the early inflammatory response and initiate regeneration. The activation of Neus can be regulated by physical cues; however, the functional alterations of Neus by substrate stiffness remain unknown, which is critical in determining the outcomes of engineered tissue mimics. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) culture system made of hydrogels was developed to explore the effects of varying stiffnesses (1.5, 2.6, and 5.7 kPa) on the states of Neus. Neus showed better cell integrity and viability in the 3D system. Moreover, it was shown that the stiffer matrix tended to induce Neus toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype (N2) with less adhesion molecule expression, less reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and more anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Additionally, the aortic ring assay indicated that Neus cultured in a stiffer matrix significantly increased vascular sprouting. RNA sequencing showed that a stiffer matrix could significantly activate JAK1/STAT3 signaling in Neus and the inhibition of JAK1 ablated the stiffness-dependent increase in the expression of CD182 (an N2 marker). Taken together, these results demonstrate that a stiffer matrix promotes Neus to shift to the N2 phenotype, which was regulated by JAK1/STAT3 pathway. This study lays the groundwork for further research on fabricating engineered tissue mimics, which may provide more treatment options for ischemic diseases and bone defects. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Jiang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Xin-Yue Tang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Yi Mao
- Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Yu-Qi Zhou
- Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Jia-Jia Wang
- Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Ruo-Mei Li
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Xin-Ru Xie
- Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Hong-Ming Zhang
- Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China
| | - Bing Fang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China.
| | - Ning-Juan Ouyang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China.
| | - Guo-Hua Tang
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China; Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China.
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9
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Vilar A, Hodgson-Garms M, Kusuma GD, Donderwinkel I, Carthew J, Tan JL, Lim R, Frith JE. Substrate mechanical properties bias MSC paracrine activity and therapeutic potential. Acta Biomater 2023; 168:144-158. [PMID: 37422008 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have significant therapeutic potential due to their ability to differentiate into musculoskeletal lineages suitable for tissue-engineering, as well as the immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative effects of the paracrine factors that these cells secrete. Cues from the extracellular environment, including physical stimuli such as substrate stiffness, are strong drivers of MSC differentiation, but their effects upon MSC paracrine activity are not well understood. This study, therefore sought to determine the impact of substrate stiffness on the paracrine activity of MSCs, analysing both effects on MSC fate and their effect on T-cell and macrophage activity and angiogenesis. The data show that conditioned medium (CM) from MSCs cultured on 0.2 kPa (soft) and 100 kPa (stiff) polyacrylamide hydrogels have differing effects on MSC proliferation and differentiation, with stiff CM promoting proliferation whilst soft CM promoted differentiation. There were also differences in the effects upon macrophage phagocytosis and angiogenesis, with the most beneficial effects from soft CM. Analysis of the media composition identified differences in the levels of proteins including IL-6, OPG, and TIMP-2. Using recombinant proteins and blocking antibodies, we confirmed a role for OPG in modulating MSC proliferation with a complex combination of factors involved in the regulation of MSC differentiation. Together the data confirm that the physical microenvironment has an important influence on the MSC secretome and that this can alter the differentiation and regenerative potential of the cells. These findings can be used to tailor the culture environment for manufacturing potent MSCs for specific clinical applications or to inform the design of biomaterials that enable the retention of MSC activity after delivery into the body. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: • MSCs cultured on 100 kPa matrices produce a secretome that boosts MSC proliferation • MSCs cultured on 0.2 kPa matrices produce a secretome that promotes MSC osteogenesis and adipogenesis, as well as angiogenesis and macrophage phagocytosis • IL-6 secretion is elevated in MSCs on 0.2 kPa substrates • OPG, TIMP-2, MCP-1, and sTNFR1 secretion are elevated in MSCs on 100 kPa substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aeolus Vilar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Margeaux Hodgson-Garms
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Gina D Kusuma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Ilze Donderwinkel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - James Carthew
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jean L Tan
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Rebecca Lim
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jessica E Frith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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10
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Gałdyszyńska M, Zwoliński R, Piera L, Szymański J, Jaszewski R, Drobnik J. Stiff substrates inhibit collagen accumulation via integrin α2β1, FAK and Src kinases in human atrial fibroblast and myofibroblast cultures derived from patients with aortal stenosis. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 159:114289. [PMID: 36696802 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to confirm whether cell substrate stiffness may participate in the regulation of fibrosis. The involvement of integrin α2β1, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src kinase in signal transmission was investigated. Human atrial fibroblasts and myofibroblasts were cultured in both soft (2.23 ± 0.8 kPa) and stiff (8.28 ± 1.06 kPa) polyacrylamide gels. The cells were derived from the right atrium of patients with aortal stenosis undergoing surgery. The isolated cells, identified as fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, were stained positively with α smooth muscle actin, vimentin and desmin. The cultures settled on stiff gel demonstrated lower intracellular collagen and collagen type I telopeptide (PICP) levels; however, no changes in α1 chain of procollagen type I and III expression were noted. Inhibition of α2β1 integrin by TC-I 15 (10-7 and 10-8 M) or α2 integrin subunit silencing augmented intracellular collagen level. Moreover, FAK or Src kinase inhibitors increased collagen content within the culture. Lower TIMP4 secretion was reported within the stiff gel cultures but neither MMP 2 nor TIMP-1, 2 or 3 release was altered. The stiff substrate cultures also demonstrated lower interleukin-6 release. Substrate stiffness modified collagen deposition within the atrial fibroblast and myofibroblast cultures. The elasticity of the cellular environment exerts a regulatory influence on both synthesis and breakdown of collagen. Integrin α2β1, FAK and Src kinase activity participates in signal transmission, which may influence fibrosis in the atria of the human heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gałdyszyńska
- Laboratory of Connective Tissue Metabolism, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
| | - R Zwoliński
- Department of Cardiosurgery, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - L Piera
- Laboratory of Connective Tissue Metabolism, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
| | - J Szymański
- Research Laboratory CoreLab, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - R Jaszewski
- Department of Cardiosurgery, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - J Drobnik
- Laboratory of Connective Tissue Metabolism, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland.
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11
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Kretschmer M, Mamistvalov R, Sprinzak D, Vollmar AM, Zahler S. Matrix stiffness regulates Notch signaling activity in endothelial cells. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:286810. [PMID: 36718783 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Notch signaling is critical for many developmental and disease-related processes. It is widely accepted that Notch has a mechanotransduction module that regulates receptor cleavage. However, the role of biomechanical properties of the cellular environment in Notch signaling in general is still poorly understood. During angiogenesis, differentiation of endothelial cells into tip and stalk cells is regulated by Notch signaling, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix occurs. We investigated the influence of substrate stiffness on the Notch signaling pathway in endothelial cells. Using stiffness-tuned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates, we show that activity of the Notch signaling pathway inversely correlates with a physiologically relevant range of substrate stiffness (i.e. increased Notch signaling activity on softer substrates). Trans-endocytosis of the Notch extracellular domain, but not the overall endocytosis, is regulated by substrate stiffness, and integrin cell-matrix connections are both stiffness dependent and influenced by Notch signaling. We conclude that mechanotransduction of Notch activation is modulated by substrate stiffness, highlighting the role of substrate rigidity as an important cue for signaling. This might have implications in pathological situations associated with stiffening of the extracellular matrix, such as tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maibritt Kretschmer
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Rose Mamistvalov
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David Sprinzak
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Angelika M Vollmar
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Zahler
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
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12
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Vite A, Caporizzo MA, Corbin EA, Brandimarto J, McAfee Q, Livingston CE, Prosser BL, Margulies KB. Extracellular stiffness induces contractile dysfunction in adult cardiomyocytes via cell-autonomous and microtubule-dependent mechanisms. Basic Res Cardiol 2022; 117:41. [PMID: 36006489 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-022-00952-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical environment of the myocardium has a potent effect on cardiomyocyte form and function, yet an understanding of the cardiomyocyte responses to extracellular stiffening remains incomplete. We therefore employed a cell culture substrate with tunable stiffness to define the cardiomyocyte responses to clinically relevant stiffness increments in the absence of cell-cell interactions. When cultured on substrates magnetically actuated to mimic the stiffness of diseased myocardium, isolated rat adult cardiomyocytes exhibited a time-dependent reduction of sarcomere shortening, characterized by slowed contraction and relaxation velocity, and alterations of the calcium transient. Cardiomyocytes cultured on stiff substrates developed increases in viscoelasticity and microtubule detyrosination in association with early increases in the α-tubulin detyrosinating enzyme vasohibin-2 (Vash2). We found that knockdown of Vash2 was sufficient to preserve contractile performance as well as calcium transient properties in the presence of extracellular substrate stiffening. Orthogonal prevention of detyrosination by overexpression of tubulin tyrosine ligase (TTL) was also able to preserve contractility and calcium homeostasis. These data demonstrate that a pathologic increment of extracellular stiffness induces early, cell-autonomous remodeling of adult cardiomyocytes that is dependent on detyrosination of α-tubulin.
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13
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Wang S, Liu Q, Cheng L, Wang L, Xu F, Yao C. Targeting biophysical cues to address platelet storage lesions. Acta Biomater 2022; 151:118-133. [PMID: 36028196 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Platelets play vital roles in vascular repair, especially in primary hemostasis, and have been widely used in transfusion to prevent bleeding or manage active bleeding. Recently, platelets have been used in tissue repair (e.g., bone, skin, and dental alveolar tissue) and cell engineering as drug delivery carriers. However, the biomedical applications of platelets have been associated with platelet storage lesions (PSLs), resulting in poor clinical outcomes with reduced recovery, survival, and hemostatic function after transfusion. Accumulating evidence has shown that biophysical cues play important roles in platelet lesions, such as granule secretion caused by shear stress, adhesion affected by substrate stiffness, and apoptosis caused by low temperature. This review summarizes four major biophysical cues (i.e., shear stress, substrate stiffness, hydrostatic pressure, and thermal microenvironment) involved in the platelet preparation and storage processes, and discusses how they may synergistically induce PSLs such as platelet shape change, activation, apoptosis and clearance. We also review emerging methods for studying these biophysical cues in vitro and existing strategies targeting biophysical cues for mitigating PSLs. We conclude with a perspective on the future direction of biophysics-based strategies for inhibiting PSLs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Platelet storage lesions (PSLs) involve a series of structural and functional changes. It has long been accepted that PSLs are initiated by biochemical cues. Our manuscript is the first to propose four major biophysical cues (shear stress, substrate stiffness, hydrostatic pressure, and thermal microenvironment) that platelets experience in each operation step during platelet preparation and storage processes in vitro, which may synergistically contribute to PSLs. We first clarify these biophysical cues and how they induce PSLs. Strategies targeting each biophysical cue to improve PSLs are also summarized. Our review is designed to draw the attention from a broad range of audience, including clinical doctors, biologists, physical scientists, engineers and materials scientists, and immunologist, who study on platelets physiology and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichun Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Lihan Cheng
- Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, 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.
| | - Chunyan Yao
- Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China.
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14
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Zhao R, Yang L, He S, Xia T. Nucleus pulposus cell senescence is regulated by substrate stiffness and is alleviated by LOX possibly through the integrin β1-p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Exp Cell Res 2022; 417:113230. [PMID: 35667466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a main contributor to induce low back pain, and the pathogenic mechanism of IVDD remains unclear. The nucleus pulposus (NP) is a component of the intervertebral disc (IVD) that provides protection from mechanical stimuli. The matrix stiffness of NP tissue increases during the process of disc degeneration. Although several studies have found that pathological mechanical stimuli induce NP cell senescence, which is relevant for NP degeneration, however, the effect of matrix stiffness on NP cell senescence is not clear. Therefore, in the present study, we used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel with controllable stiffness to mimic the matrix stiffness of normal (4 kPa) and severely degenerated (20 kPa) NP tissue. Rat NP cells were isolated and cultured on substrates with different stiffness, and the cell proliferation, SA-β-gal activity, cell cycle, telomerase activity and the phenotype markers of NP cells were analyzed. Moreover, cytoskeleton staining and NP cellular Young's modulus on different substrates were also measured. To further investigate how substrate stiffness affects NP cell senescence, lysyl oxidase (LOX) was used to restore the extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis of NP cells. The expression levels of integrin β1 and p38 MAPK were then measured. Our results showed that the 20 kPa substrate significantly induced NP cell senescence compared to the 4 kPa substrate. NP cells cultured on the 20 kPa substrate failed to maintain the expression of their phenotype markers. Furthermore, the 20 kPa substrate induced an increase of Young's modulus of NP cells, which possibly through up regulating the expressions of integrin β1 and p38 MAPK. These results indicated that the integrin β1-p38 MAPK signaling pathway may participated in substrate stiffness induced senescence of NP cells. LOX significantly increased ECM synthesis and inhibited substrate stiffness induced NP cell senescence, which indicated that matrix mechanics may be essential for maintaining the function of NP cell. Our results may provide a new perspective on the mechanism of IVDD by pathological matrix mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Zhao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Shuangjian He
- Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215153, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Tingting Xia
- Institute of Clinical Medicine Research, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215153, Jiangsu, China.
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15
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Zhou SW, Wang J, Chen SY, Ren KF, Wang YX, Ji J. The substrate stiffness at physiological range significantly modulates vascular cell behavior. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 214:112483. [PMID: 35366576 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the stiffness of the cellular microenvironment are involved in many pathological processes of blood vessels. Substrate stiffness has been shown to have extensive effects on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, the material stiffness of most previously reported in-vitro models is ranging from ~100 kPa to the magnitude of MPa, which does not match the mechanical properties of natural vascular tissue (10-100 kPa). Herein, we constructed hydrogel substrates with the stiffness of 18-86 kPa to explore the effect of physiological stiffness on vascular cells. Our findings show that, with the increase of stiffness at the physiological range, the cell adhesion and proliferation behaviors of VECs and VSMCs are significantly enhanced. On the soft substrate, VECs express more nitric oxide (NO), and VSMCs tend to maintain a healthy contraction phenotype. More importantly, we find that the number of differentially expressed genes in cells cultured between 18 kPa and 86 kPa substrates (560 in VECs, 243 in VSMCs) is significantly higher than that between 86 kPa and 333 kPa (137 in VECs, 172 in VSMCs), indicating that a small increase in stiffness within the physiological range have a higher impact on vascular cell behaviors. Overall, our results expanded the exploration of how stiffness affects the behavior of vascular cells at the physiological range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Wen Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jing Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Sheng-Yu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention and Regenerative Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Ke-Feng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention and Regenerative Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
| | - You-Xiang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jian Ji
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention and Regenerative Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
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16
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Querceto S, Santoro R, Gowran A, Grandinetti B, Pompilio G, Regnier M, Tesi C, Poggesi C, Ferrantini C, Pioner JM. The harder the climb the better the view: The impact of substrate stiffness on cardiomyocyte fate. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2022; 166:36-49. [PMID: 35139328 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The quest for novel methods to mature human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) for cardiac regeneration, modelling and drug testing has emphasized a need to create microenvironments with physiological features. Many studies have reported on how cardiomyocytes sense substrate stiffness and adapt their morphological and functional properties. However, these observations have raised new biological questions and a shared vision to translate it into a tissue or organ context is still elusive. In this review, we will focus on the relevance of substrates mimicking cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) rigidity for the understanding of the biomechanical crosstalk between the extracellular and intracellular environment. The ability to opportunely modulate these pathways could be a key to regulate in vitro hiPSC-CM maturation. Therefore, both hiPSC-CM models and substrate stiffness appear as intriguing tools for the investigation of cECM-cell interactions. More understanding of these mechanisms may provide novel insights on how cECM affects cardiac cell function in the context of genetic cardiomyopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Querceto
- Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Rosaria Santoro
- Unità di Biologia Vascolare e Medicina Rigenerativa, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, via Carlo Parea 4, Milan, Italy; Department of Electronics, Information and Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Aoife Gowran
- Unità di Biologia Vascolare e Medicina Rigenerativa, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, via Carlo Parea 4, Milan, Italy
| | - Bruno Grandinetti
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Giulio Pompilio
- Unità di Biologia Vascolare e Medicina Rigenerativa, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, via Carlo Parea 4, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Michael Regnier
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chiara Tesi
- Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Corrado Poggesi
- Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Cecilia Ferrantini
- Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Josè Manuel Pioner
- Department of Biology, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
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17
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Cao H, Zhou Q, Liu C, Zhang Y, Xie M, Qiao W, Dong N. Substrate stiffness regulates differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into heart valve endothelial cells. Acta Biomater 2022; 143:115-126. [PMID: 35235867 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Substrate stiffness has been indicated as a primary determinant for stem cell fate, being capable of influencing motility, proliferation, and differentiation. Although the effects of stiffness on cardiac differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (h-iPSCs) have been reported, whether stiffness of polydimethylsiloxane-based substrates could enhance differentiation of h-iPSCs toward heart valve endothelial cells lineage (VECs) or not remains unknown. Herein, we modulated the substrate stiffness to evaluate its effect on the differentiation of h-iPSCs into valve endothelial-like cells (h-iVECs) in vitro and determine the suitable stiffness. The results revealed that VECs-related genes (PECAM1, CDH5, NFATC1, etc.) were significantly increased in h-iVECs obtained from the three substrates compared with h-iPSCs. Gene expression levels and differentiation efficiency were higher in the medium group than in the stiff and soft groups. An increase in substrate stiffness to 2.8 GPa decreased the efficiency of h-iPSCs differentiation into h-iVECs and downregulated VECs specific genes. Through mRNA sequencing, we determined the key genetic markers involved in stiffness guiding the differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells into h-iVECs. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering showed that medium stiffness were more suitable for the differentiation of h-iPSCs into h-iVECs in vitro. Moreover, this process is regulated by the WNT/Calcineurin signaling pathway. Overall, this study demonstrates how stiffness can be used to enhance the h-iVECs differentiation of iPSCs and emphasizes the importance of using substrate stiffness to accomplish a more specific and mature differentiation of h-iVECs for future therapeutic and tissue engineering valve applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Several studies have examined the stiffness-induced cell fate from pluripotent stem cells during the stage of mesoderm cell differentiation. This is the first research that rigorously examines the effect of substrate stiffness on human valve endothelial-like cells differentiation from cardiac progenitor cells. We found that the medium stiffness can increase the differentiation efficiency of h-iVECs from 40% to about 60%, and this process was regulated by the WNT/CaN signaling pathway through the activation of WNT5a. Substrate stiffness not only increases the differentiation efficiency of h-iVECs, but also improves its cellular functions such as low-density lipoprotein uptake and NO release. This study emphasizes the importance of using substrate stiffness to accomplish a more specific and mature differentiation of h-iVECs.
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18
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Gil-Redondo JC, Weber A, Zbiral B, Vivanco MDM, Toca-Herrera JL. Substrate stiffness modulates the viscoelastic properties of MCF-7 cells. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2021; 125:104979. [PMID: 34826769 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cells sense stiffness of surrounding tissues and adapt their activity, proliferation, motility and mechanical properties based on such interactions. Cells probe the stiffness of the substrate by anchoring and pulling to their surroundings, transmitting force to the extracellular matrix and other cells, and respond to the resistance they sense, mainly through changes in their cytoskeleton. Cancer and other diseases alter stiffness of tissues, and the response of cancer cells to this stiffness can also be affected. In the present study we show that MCF-7 breast cancer cells seeded on polyacrylamide gels have the ability to detect the stiffness of the substrate and alter their mechanical properties in response. MCF-7 cells plated on soft substrates display lower stiffness and viscosity when compared to those seeded on stiffer gels or glass. These differences can be associated with differences in the morphology and cytoskeleton organisation, since cells seeded on soft substrates have a round morphology, while cells seeded on stiffer substrates acquire a flat and spread morphology with formation of actin filaments, similar to that observed when seeded on glass. These findings show that MCF-7 cells can detect the stiffness of the surrounding microenvironment and thus, modify their mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Gil-Redondo
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Andreas Weber
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Barbara Zbiral
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Maria dM Vivanco
- Cancer Heterogeneity Lab, CIC BioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, BRTA, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain.
| | - José L Toca-Herrera
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
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19
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Matsuo E, Okamoto T, Ito A, Kawamoto E, Asanuma K, Wada K, Shimaoka M, Takao M, Shimamoto A. Substrate stiffness modulates endothelial cell function via the YAP-Dll4-Notch1 pathway. Exp Cell Res 2021; 408:112835. [PMID: 34543658 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial cells adapt their functions as a consequence of sensing extracellular substrate stiffness; these alterations allow them to maintain their vascular structure and function. Substrate stiffness-mediated yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) activation plays an important role in mechano-transduction and pro-angiogenic phenotype of endothelial cells, and Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4)-Notch1 signaling is closely related to angiogenesis; however, the impact of substrate stiffness-mediated interrelation of these pathways on endothelial cell functions remains elusive. We confirmed that endothelial cells on softer substrates not only elongate cellular aspects but also attenuate YAP activation compared to cells on stiffer substrates. Endothelial cells on softer substrates also upregulate the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and VEGFR2 mRNA expression that is enhanced by VEGF stimulation. We determined that endothelial cells on softer substrates increased Dll4 expression, but not Notch1 expression, via YAP signaling. Moreover, endothelial cells on soft substrates induced not only VEGFRs upregulation but also suppression of pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA expression and the facilitation of anti-coagulant thrombomodulin and pro-coagulant tissue factor mRNA expression. Our results suggest that endothelial cells activate the YAP-Dll4-Notch signaling pathway in response to substrate stiffness and dictate cellular function.
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20
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Ehlinger C, Mathieu E, Rabineau M, Ball V, Lavalle P, Haikel Y, Vautier D, Kocgozlu L. Insensitivity of dental pulp stem cells migration to substrate stiffness. Biomaterials 2021; 275:120969. [PMID: 34157563 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a promising cell source for regeneration of dental pulp. Migration is a key event but influence of the microenvironment rigidity (5 kPa at the center of dental pulp to 20 GPa for the dentin) is largely unknown. Mechanical signals are transmitted from the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, to the nuclei, and to the chromatin, potentially regulating gene expression. To identify the microenvironmental influence on migration, we analyzed motility on PDMS substrates with stiffness increasing from 1.5 kPa up to 2.5 MPa. We found that migration speed slightly increases as substrate stiffness decreases in correlation with decreasing focal adhesion size. Motility is relatively insensitive to substrate stiffness, even on a bi-rigidity PDMS substrate where DPSCs migrate without preferential direction. Migration is independent of both myosin II activity and YAP translocation after myosin II inhibition. Additionally, inhibition of Arp2/3 complex leads to significant speed decrease for all rigidities, suggesting contribution of the lamellipodia in the migration. Interestingly, the chromatin architecture remains stable after a 7-days exposure on the PDMS substrates for all rigidity. To design scaffold mimicking dental pulp environment, similar DPSCs migration for all rigidity, leaves field open to choose this mechanical parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Ehlinger
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eric Mathieu
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Morgane Rabineau
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent Ball
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Philippe Lavalle
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Youssef Haikel
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Vautier
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Leyla Kocgozlu
- Inserm UMR-S1121, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg (CRBS), 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67084, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8 rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.
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21
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Xiang S, Li Z, Fritch MR, Li L, Velankar S, Liu Y, Sohn J, Baker N, Lin H, Tuan RS. Caveolin-1 mediates soft scaffold-enhanced adipogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:347. [PMID: 34127047 PMCID: PMC8201886 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02356-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) can differentiate into adipocytes upon stimulation and are considered an appropriate cell source for adipose tissue engineering. In addition to biochemical cues, the stiffness of a substrate that cells attach to has also been shown to affect hBMSC differentiation potential. Of note, most current studies are conducted on monolayer cultures which do not directly inform adipose tissue engineering, where 3-dimensional (3D) scaffolds are often used to create proper tissue architecture. In this study, we aim to examine the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs within soft or stiff scaffolds and investigate the molecular mechanism mediating the response of hBMSCs to substrate stiffness in 3D culture, specifically the involvement of the integral membrane protein, caveolin-1 (CAV1), known to regulate signaling in MSCs via compartmentalizing and concentrating signaling molecules. METHODS By adjusting the photo-illumination time, photocrosslinkable gelatin scaffolds with the same polymer concentration but different stiffnesses were created. hBMSCs were seeded within soft and stiff scaffolds, and their response to adipogenic induction under different substrate mechanical conditions was characterized. The functional involvement of CAV1 was assessed by suppressing its expression level using CAV1-specific siRNA. RESULTS The soft and stiff scaffolds used in this study had a compressive modulus of ~0.5 kPa and ~23.5 kPa, respectively. hBMSCs showed high viability in both scaffold types, but only spread out in the soft scaffolds. hBMSCs cultured in soft scaffolds displayed significantly higher adipogenesis, as revealed by histology, qRT-PCR, and immunostaining. Interestingly, a lower CAV1 level was observed in hBMSCs in the soft scaffolds, concomitantly accompanied by increased levels of Yes-associated protein (YAP) and decreased YAP phosphorylation, when compared to cells seeded in the stiff scaffolds. Interestingly, reducing CAV1 expression with siRNA was shown to further enhance hBMSC adipogenesis, which may function through activation of the YAP signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS Soft biomaterials support superior adipogenesis of encapsulated hBMSCs in 3D culture, which is partially mediated by the CAV1-YAP axis. Suppressing CAV1 expression levels represents a robust method in the promotion of hBMSC adipogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Xiang
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhong Li
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Madalyn R Fritch
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - La Li
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sachin Velankar
- Department of Chem/Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yuwei Liu
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jihee Sohn
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present Address: Biogen, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natasha Baker
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present Address: Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hang Lin
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. .,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Rocky S Tuan
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. .,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Present Address: Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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22
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Le V, Mei L, Voyvodic PL, Zhao C, Busch DJ, Stachowiak JC, Baker AB. Molecular tension in syndecan-1 is regulated by extracellular mechanical cues and fluidic shear stress. Biomaterials 2021; 275:120947. [PMID: 34139507 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The endothelium plays a central role in regulating vascular homeostasis and is key in determining the response to materials implanted in the vascular system. Endothelial cells are uniquely sensitive to biophysical cues from applied forces and their local cellular microenvironment. The glycocalyx is a layer of proteoglycans, glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans that lines the luminal surface of the vascular endothelium, interacting directly with the components of the blood and the forces of blood flow. In this work, we examined the changes in mechanical tension of syndecan-1, a cell surface proteoglycan that is an integral part of the glycocalyx, in response to substrate stiffness and fluidic shear stress. Our studies demonstrate that syndecan-1 has higher mechanical tension in regions of cell adhesion, on and in response to nanotopographical cues. In addition, we found that substrate stiffness also regulated the mechanical tension of syndecan-1 and altered its binding to actin, myosin iiB and signaling intermediates including Src, PKA and FAK. Application of fluidic shear stress created a gradient in tension in syndecan-1 and led to enhanced association with actin, Src, myosin IIb and other cytoskeleton related molecules. Overall, our studies support that syndecan-1 is responsive to the mechanical environment of the cells and alters its association with actin and signaling intermediates in response to mechanical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Le
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Lei Mei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Peter L Voyvodic
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Chi Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David J Busch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jeanne C Stachowiak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Aaron B Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; The Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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23
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Hu M, Jia F, Huang WP, Li X, Hu DF, Wang J, Ren KF, Fu GS, Wang YB, Ji J. Substrate stiffness differentially impacts autophagy of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:1413-1422. [PMID: 33210033 PMCID: PMC7658328 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Stiffening of blood vessels is one of the most important characteristics in the process of many cardiovascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis, angiosteosis, and vascular aging. Increased stiffness of the vascular extracellular matrix drives artery pathology and alters phenotypes of vascular cell. Understanding how substrate stiffness impacts vascular cell behaviors is of great importance to the biomaterial design in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and medical devices. Here we report that changing substrate stiffness has a significant impact on the autophagy of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Interestingly, our findings demonstrate that, with the increase of substrate stiffness, the autophagy level of VECs and VSMCs showed differential changes: endothelial autophagy levels reduced, leading to the reductions in a range of gene expression associated with endothelial function; while, autophagy levels of VSMCs increased, showing a transition from contractile to the synthetic phenotype. We further demonstrate that, by inhibiting cell autophagy, the expressions of endothelial functional gene were further reduced and the expression of VSMC calponin increased, suggesting an important role of autophagy in response of the cells to the challenge of microenvironment stiffness changing. Although the underlying mechanism requires further study, this work highlights the relationship of substrate stiffness, autophagy, and vascular cell behaviors, and enlightening the design principles of surface stiffness of biomaterials in cardiovascular practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Fan Jia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Wei-Pin Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xu Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Deng-Feng Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Jing Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Ke-Feng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Guo-Sheng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention and Regenerative Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Yun-Bing Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Jian Ji
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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24
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Ribeiro S, Carvalho AM, Fernandes EM, Gomes ME, Reis RL, Bayon Y, Zeugolis DI. Development and characterisation of cytocompatible polyester substrates with tunable mechanical properties and degradation rate. Acta Biomater 2021; 121:303-15. [PMID: 33227488 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Although it has been repeatedly indicated the importance to develop implantable devices and cell culture substrates with tissue-specific rigidity, current commercially available products, in particular cell culture substrates, have rigidity values well above most tissues in the body. Herein, six resorbable polyester films were fabricated using compression moulding with a thermal presser into films with tailored stiffness by appropriately selecting the ratio of their building up monomers (e.g. lactide, glycolide, trimethylene carbonate, dioxanone, ε-caprolactone). Typical NMR and FTIR spectra were obtained, suggesting that the fabrication process did not have a negative effect on the conformation of the polymers. Surface roughness analysis revealed no apparent differences between the films as a function of polymer composition. Subject to polymer composition, polymeric films were obtained with glass transition temperatures from -52 °C to 61 °C; contact angles in water from 81 ° to 94 °; storage modulus from 108 MPa to 2,756 MPa and loss modulus from 8 MPa to 507 MPa (both in wet state, at 1 Hz frequency and at 37 °C); ultimate tensile strength from 8 MPa to 62 MPa, toughness from 23 MJ/m3 to 287 MJ/m3, strain at break from 3 % to 278 %, macro-scale Young's modulus from 110 MPa to 2,184 MPa (all in wet state); and nano-scale Young's modulus from 6 kPa to 15,019 kPa (in wet state). With respect to in vitro degradation in phosphate buffered saline at 37 °C, some polymeric films [e.g. poly(glycolide-lactide) 30 / 70] started degrading from day 7 (shortest timepoint assessed), whilst others [e.g. poly(glycolide-co-ε-caprolactone) 10 / 90] were more resilient to degradation up to day 21 (longest timepoint assessed). In vitro biological analysis using human dermal fibroblasts and a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) showed the potential of the polymeric films to support cell growth and controlled immune response. Evidently, the selected polymers exhibited properties suitable for a range of clinical indications.
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25
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Chen M, Zhang Y, Zhou P, Liu X, Zhao H, Zhou X, Gu Q, Li B, Zhu X, Shi Q. Substrate stiffness modulates bone marrow-derived macrophage polarization through NF-κB signaling pathway. Bioact Mater 2020; 5:880-890. [PMID: 32637751 PMCID: PMC7332470 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in regulating the cellular programming. However, the mechanical characteristics of ECM affecting cell differentiation are still under investigated. Herein, we aimed to study the effect of ECM substrate stiffness on macrophage polarization. We prepared polyacrylamide hydrogels with different substrate stiffness, respectively. After the hydrogels were confirmed to have a good biocompatibility, the bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) from mice were incubated on the hydrogels. With simulated by the low substrate stiffness, BMMs displayed an enhanced expression of CD86 on the cell surface and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, and secreted more IL-1β and TNF-α in the supernatant. On the contrary, stressed by the medium stiffness, BMMs expressed more CD206, produced less ROS, and secreted more IL-4 and TGF-β. In vivo study by delivered the hydrogels subcutaneously in mice, more CD68+CD86+ cells around the hydrogels with the low substrate stiffness were observed while more CD68+CD206+ cells near by the middle stiffness hydrogels. In addition, the expressions of NIK, phosphorylated p65 (pi-p65) and phosphorylated IκB (pi-IκB) were significantly increased after stimulation with low stiffness in BMMs. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that substrate stiffness could affect macrophages polarization. Low substrate stiffness promoted BMMs to shift to classically activated macrophages (M1) and the middle one to alternatively activated macrophages (M2), through modulating ROS-initiated NF-κB pathway. Therefore, we anticipated ECM-based substrate stiffness with immune modulation would be under consideration in the clinical applications if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Pinghui Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Xingzhi Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Huan Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Xichao Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Qiaoli Gu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Xuesong Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
| | - Qin Shi
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Orthopedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Biomedical Materials of Jiangsu Province and Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
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26
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Xie J, Bao M, Hu X, Koopman WJH, Huck WTS. Energy expenditure during cell spreading influences the cellular response to matrix stiffness. Biomaterials 2021; 267:120494. [PMID: 33130323 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cells respond to the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) through formation of focal adhesions (FAs), re-organization of the actin cytoskeleton and adjustment of cell contractility. These are energy-demanding processes, but a potential causality between mechanical cues (matrix stiffness) and cellular (energy) metabolism remains largely unexplored. Here, we cultured human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on stiff (20 kPa) or soft (1 kPa) substrate and demonstrate that cytoskeletal reorganization and FA formation spreading on stiff substrates lead to a drop in intracellular ATP levels, correlating with activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The resulting increase in ATP levels further facilitates cell spreading and reinforces cell tension of the steady state, and coincides with nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ and Runx2. While on soft substrates (1 kPa), lowered ATP levels limit these cellular mechanoresponses. Furthermore, genetic ablation of AMPK lowered cellular ATP levels on stiff substrate and strongly reduced responses to substrate stiffness. Together, these findings reveal a hitherto unidentified relationship between energy expenditure and the cellular mechanoresponse, and point to AMPK as a key mediator of stem cell fate in response to ECM mechanics.
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27
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Sanyour HJ, Rickel AP, Hong Z. The interplay of membrane cholesterol and substrate on vascular smooth muscle biomechanics. Curr Top Membr 2020; 86:279-299. [PMID: 33837696 PMCID: PMC8041049 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the primary cause of death worldwide. Specifically, atherosclerosis is a CVD characterized as a slow progressing chronic inflammatory disease. During atherosclerosis, vascular walls accumulate cholesterol and cause fatty streak formation. The progressive changes in vascular wall stiffness exert alternating mechanical cues on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The detachment of VSMCs in the media layer of the vessel and migration toward the intima is a critical step in atherosclerosis. VSMC phenotypic switching is a complicated process that modifies VSMC structure and biomechanical function. These changes affect the expression and function of cell adhesion molecules, thus impacting VSMC migration. Accumulating evidence has shown cholesterol is capable of regulating cellular migration, proliferation, and spreading. However, the interaction and coordinated effects of both cellular cholesterol and the extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness/composition on VSMC biomechanics remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna J Sanyour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Alex P Rickel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Zhongkui Hong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States.
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28
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Guo A, Wang B, Lyu C, Li W, Wu Y, Zhu L, Bi R, Huang C, Li JJ, Du Y. Consistent apparent Young's modulus of human embryonic stem cells and derived cell types stabilized by substrate stiffness regulation promotes lineage specificity maintenance. Cell Regen 2020; 9:15. [PMID: 32880028 PMCID: PMC7467757 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-020-00054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apparent Young's modulus (AYM), which reflects the fundamental mechanical property of live cells measured by atomic force microscopy and is determined by substrate stiffness regulated cytoskeletal organization, has been investigated as potential indicators of cell fate in specific cell types. However, applying biophysical cues, such as modulating the substrate stiffness, to regulate AYM and thereby reflect and/or control stem cell lineage specificity for downstream applications, remains a primary challenge during in vitro stem cell expansion. Moreover, substrate stiffness could modulate cell heterogeneity in the single-cell stage and contribute to cell fate regulation, yet the indicative link between AYM and cell fate determination during in vitro dynamic cell expansion (from single-cell stage to multi-cell stage) has not been established. RESULTS Here, we show that the AYM of cells changed dynamically during passaging and proliferation on substrates with different stiffness. Moreover, the same change in substrate stiffness caused different patterns of AYM change in epithelial and mesenchymal cell types. Embryonic stem cells and their derived progenitor cells exhibited distinguishing AYM changes in response to different substrate stiffness that had significant effects on their maintenance of pluripotency and/or lineage-specific characteristics. On substrates that were too rigid or too soft, fluctuations in AYM occurred during cell passaging and proliferation that led to a loss in lineage specificity. On a substrate with 'optimal' stiffness (i.e., 3.5 kPa), the AYM was maintained at a constant level that was consistent with the parental cells during passaging and proliferation and led to preservation of lineage specificity. The effects of substrate stiffness on AYM and downstream cell fate were correlated with intracellular cytoskeletal organization and nuclear/cytoplasmic localization of YAP. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study suggests that optimal substrate stiffness regulated consistent AYM during passaging and proliferation reflects and contributes to hESCs and their derived progenitor cells lineage specificity maintenance, through the underlying mechanistic pathways of stiffness-induced cytoskeletal organization and the downstream YAP signaling. These findings highlighted the potential of AYM as an indicator to select suitable substrate stiffness for stem cell specificity maintenance during in vitro expansion for regenerative applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Bingjie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yaozu Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, 63130, USA
| | - Lu Zhu
- Institute of Systems Engineering, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Ran Bi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chenyu Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102218, China
| | - Jiao Jiao Li
- Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Yanan Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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29
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Li P, Zhou J, Li W, Wu H, Hu J, Ding Q, Lü S, Pan J, Zhang C, Li N, Long M. Characterizing liver sinusoidal endothelial cell fenestrae on soft substrates upon AFM imaging and deep learning. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2020; 1864:129702. [PMID: 32814074 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) display unique fenestrated morphology. Alterations in the size and number of fenestrae play a crucial role in the progression of various liver diseases. While their features have been visualized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the in situ imaging methods and off-line analyses are further required for fenestra quantification. METHODS Primary mouse LSECs were cultured on a collagen-I-coated culture dish, or a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or polyacrylamide (PA) hydrogel substrate. An AFM contact mode was applied to visualize fenestrae on individual fixed LSECs. Collected images were analyzed using an in-house developed image recognition program based on fully convolutional networks (FCN). RESULTS Key scanning parameters were first optimized for visualizing the fenestrae on LSECs on culture dish, which was also applicable for the LSECs cultured on various hydrogels. The intermediate-magnification morphology images of LSECs were used for developing the FCN-based, fenestra recognition program. This program enabled us to recognize the vast majority of fenestrae from AFM images after twice trainings at a typical accuracy of 81.6% on soft substrate and also quantify the statistics of porosity, number of fenestrae and distribution of fenestra diameter. CONCLUSIONS Combining AFM imaging with FCN training is able to quantify the morphological distributions of LSEC fenestrae on various substrates. SIGNIFICANCE AFM images acquired and analyzed here provided the global information of surface ultramicroscopic structures over an entire cell, which is fundamental in understanding their regulatory mechanisms and pathophysiological relevance in fenestra-like evolution of individual cells on stiffness-varied substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiwen Li
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, China; Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Wang Li
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Jinrong Hu
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Qihan Ding
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shouqin Lü
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jun Pan
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, China.
| | - Ning Li
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Mian Long
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Barcellona MN, Speer JE, Fearing BV, Jing L, Pathak A, Gupta MC, Buchowski JM, Kelly M, Setton LA. Control of adhesive ligand density for modulation of nucleus pulposus cell phenotype. Biomaterials 2020; 250:120057. [PMID: 32361392 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cells of the nucleus pulposus have been observed to undergo a shift from their notochordal-like juvenile phenotype to a more fibroblast-like state with age and maturation. It has been demonstrated that culture of degenerative adult human nucleus pulposus cells upon soft (<1 kPa) full length laminin-containing hydrogel substrates promotes increased levels of a panel of markers associated with the juvenile nucleus pulposus cell phenotype. In the current work, we observed an ability to use soft polymeric substrates functionalized with short laminin-mimetic peptide sequences to recapitulate the behaviors elicited by soft, full-length laminin containing materials. Furthermore, our work suggests an ability to mimic features of soft systems through control of peptide density upon stiffer substrates. Specifically, results suggest that stiffer polymer-peptide hydrogel substrates can be used to promote the expression of a more juvenile-like phenotype for cells of the nucleus pulposus by reducing adhesive ligand presentation. Here we show how polymer stiffness combined with adhesive ligand presentation can be controlled to be supportive of nucleus pulposus cell phenotype and biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos N Barcellona
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Julie E Speer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Bailey V Fearing
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, USA
| | - Liufang Jing
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Munish C Gupta
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jacob M Buchowski
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Michael Kelly
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Lori A Setton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, USA.
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31
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Yen MH, Chen YH, Liu YS, Lee OKS. Alteration of Young's modulus in mesenchymal stromal cells during osteogenesis measured by atomic force microscopy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 526:827-832. [PMID: 32273088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.03.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of biological tissues are increasingly recognized as an important parameter for the indication of disease states as well as tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Multipotent mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), which play important roles in bone formation and remodeling, are potential cell sources for regenerative medicine. However, the cellular mechanical properties of differentiating MSCs corresponding to the substrate stiffness has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to measure changes of stiffness of human MSCs cultured in rigid Petri dish and on polyacrylamide (PA) substrates during osteogenic differentiation. The results showed that the Young's modulus of MSC cytoplasmic outer region increased over time during osteogenesis. There is a strong linear correlation between the osteogenic induction time and the Young's modulus of the cells cultured in rigid Petri dishes in the first 15 days after the induction; the Young's modulus approaches to a plateau after day 15. On the other hand, the Young's moduli of MSCs cultured on PA gels with stiffness of 7 kPa and 42 kPa also increase over time during osteogenic differentiation, but the inclination of such increase is much smaller than that of MSCs differentiating in rigid dishes. Herein, we established a protocol of AFM measurement to evaluate the maturation of stem cell osteogenic differentiation at the single cell level and could encourage further AFM applications in tissue engineering related to mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hua Yen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Stem Cell Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Electronic Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shiuan Liu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Stem Cell Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Oscar Kuang-Sheng Lee
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Stem Cell Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Ireland RG, Kibschull M, Audet J, Ezzo M, Hinz B, Lye SJ, Simmons CA. Combinatorial extracellular matrix microarray identifies novel bioengineered substrates for xeno-free culture of human pluripotent stem cells. Biomaterials 2020; 248:120017. [PMID: 32283392 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stem cells in their microenvironment are exposed to a plethora of biochemical signals and biophysical forces. Interrogating the role of each factor in the cell microenvironment, however, remains difficult due to the inability to study microenvironmental cues and tease apart their interactions in high throughput. To address this need, we developed an extracellular matrix (ECM) microarray screening platform capable of tightly controlling substrate stiffness and ECM protein composition to screen the effects of these cues and their interactions on cell fate. We combined this platform with a design of experiments screening strategy to identify optimal conditions that can maintain human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) pluripotency in chemically defined, xeno-free conditions. Combinations of ECM proteins (fibronectin, vitronectin, laminin-521, and collagen IV) were deposited on polydimethylsiloxane substrates with elastic moduli ranging from ~1 to 60 kPa using a high throughput protein plotter. Through our screening approach, we identified several non-intuitive protein-protein and protein-stiffness interactions and developed three novel culture substrates. hPSCs grown on these novel culture substrates displayed higher proliferation rates and pluripotency marker expression than current gold-standard culture substrates Geltrex- and vitronectin-coated plastic. This ECM microarray and screening approach is not limited to the factors studied here and can be broadly applied to other cell types to systematically screen microenvironmental conditions to optimally guide cell phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald G Ireland
- Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Kibschull
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie Audet
- Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maya Ezzo
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Boris Hinz
- Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen J Lye
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Physiology, and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Alliance for Human Development, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Craig A Simmons
- Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Ribeiro MC, Slaats RH, Schwach V, Rivera-Arbelaez JM, Tertoolen LGJ, van Meer BJ, Molenaar R, Mummery CL, Claessens MMAE, Passier R. A cardiomyocyte show of force: A fluorescent alpha-actinin reporter line sheds light on human cardiomyocyte contractility versus substrate stiffness. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2020; 141:54-64. [PMID: 32205183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is often associated with cardiac remodeling, including cardiac fibrosis, which may lead to increased stiffness of the heart wall. This stiffness in turn may cause subsequent failure of cardiac myocytes, however the response of these cells to increased substrate stiffness is largely unknown. To investigate the contractile response of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) to increased substrate stiffness, we generated a stable transgenic human pluripotent stem cell line expressing a fusion protein of α-Actinin and fluorescent mRubyII in a previously characterized NKX2.5-GFP reporter line. Cardiomyocytes differentiated from this line were subjected to a substrate with stiffness ranging from 4 kPa to 101 kPa, while contraction of sarcomeres and bead displacement in the substrate were measured for each single cardiomyocyte. We found that sarcomere dynamics in hPSC-CMs on polyacrylamide gels of increasing stiffness are not affected above physiological levels (21 kPa), but that contractile force increases up to a stiffness of 90 kPa, at which cell shortening, deducted from bead displacement, is significantly reduced compared to physiological stiffness. We therefore hypothesize that this discrepancy may be the cause of intracellular stress that leads to hypertrophy and consequent heart failure in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo C Ribeiro
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Rolf H Slaats
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Verena Schwach
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - José M Rivera-Arbelaez
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Leon G J Tertoolen
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300, RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Berend J van Meer
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300, RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Molenaar
- NanoBioPhysics Group, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300, RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mireille M A E Claessens
- NanoBioPhysics Group, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Passier
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300, RC, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Liu S, Gao X, Wu X, Yu Y, Yu Z, Zhao S, Zhao H. BK channels regulate calcium oscillations in ventricular myocytes on different substrate stiffness. Life Sci 2019; 235:116802. [PMID: 31472150 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.116802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Substrate stiffness is essential for cell functions, but the mechanisms by which cell sense mechanical cues are still unclear. Here we show that the frequency and the amplitude of spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were greater in chick cardiomyocytes cultured on the stiff substrates than that on the soft substrates. The spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were increased on stiff substrates. However, an eliminated dependence of the Ca2+ oscillations on substrate stiffness was observed after applying blocker of the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels. In addition, the activity of BK channels in cardiomyocytes cultured on the stiff substrates was decreased. These results provide compelling evidences to show that BK channels are crucial in substrate stiffness-dependent regulation of the Ca2+ oscillation in cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Liu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Gao
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Zhang Yu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Sui Zhao
- Affiliated High School of Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Hucheng Zhao
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
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35
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Azadi S, Aboulkheyr Es H, Razavi Bazaz S, Thiery JP, Asadnia M, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. Upregulation of PD-L1 expression in breast cancer cells through the formation of 3D multicellular cancer aggregates under different chemical and mechanical conditions. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 2019; 1866:118526. [PMID: 31398408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.118526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in cancer cells plays an important role in cancer-immune cell interaction. The emerging evidence suggests regulation of PD-L1 expression by several tumor microenvironmental cues. However, the association of PD-L1 expression with chemical and mechanical features of the tumor microenvironment, specifically epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and matrix stiffness, remains elusive. Herein, we determine whether EGFR targeting and substrate stiffness affect the regulation of PD-L1 expression. Breast carcinoma cell lines, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, were cultured under different conditions targeting EGFR and exposing cells to distinct substrate stiffness to evaluate PD-L1 expression. Furthermore, the ability to form aggregates in short-term culture of breast carcinoma cells and its effect on expression level of PD-L1 was probed. Our results indicated that PD-L1 expression was altered in response to both EGFR inhibition and substrate stiffness. Additionally, a positive association between the formation of multicellular aggregates and PD-L1 expression was observed. MDA-MB-231 cells expressed the highest PD-L1 level on a stiff substrate, while inhibition of EGFR reduced expression of PD-L1. The results suggested that both physical and chemical features of tumor microenvironment regulate PD-L1 expression through alteration of tumor aggregate formation potential. In line with these results, the in-silico study highlighted a positive correlation between PD-L1 expression, EGFR signaling, epithelial to mesenchymal transition related transcription factors (EMT-TFs) and stemness markers in metastatic breast cancer. These findings improve our understanding of regulation of PD-L1 expression by tumor microenvironment leading to evasion of tumor cells from the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohreh Azadi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia; School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
| | - Hamidreza Aboulkheyr Es
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Sajad Razavi Bazaz
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Inserm Unit 1186, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Mohsen Asadnia
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia; Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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Peng Y, Chen Z, Chen Y, Li S, Jiang Y, Yang H, Wu C, You F, Zheng C, Zhu J, Tan Y, Qin X, Liu Y. ROCK isoforms differentially modulate cancer cell motility by mechanosensing the substrate stiffness. Acta Biomater 2019; 88:86-101. [PMID: 30771534 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tumors are characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and stiffening. The importance of ECM stiffness in cancer is well known. However, the biomechanical behavior of tumor cells and the underlying mechanotransduction pathways remain unclear. Here, we used polyacrylamide (PAA) substrates to simulate tissue stiffness at different progress stages of breast cancer in vitro, and we observed that moderate substrate stiffness promoted breast cancer cell motility. The substrate stiffness directly activated integrin β1 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which accelerate focal adhesion (FA) maturation and induce the downstream cascades of intracellular signals of the RhoA/ROCK pathway. Interestingly, the differential regulatory mechanism between two ROCK isoforms (ROCK1 and ROCK2) in cell motility and mechanotransduction was clearly identified. ROCK1 phosphorylated the myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) and facilitated the generation of traction force, while ROCK2 phosphorylated cofilin and regulated the cytoskeletal remodeling by suppressing F-actin depolymerization. The ROCK isoforms differentially regulated the pathways of RhoA/ROCK1/p-MLC and RhoA/ROCK2/p-cofilin in a coordinate fashion to modulate breast cancer cell motility in a substrate stiffness-dependent manner through integrin β1-activated FAK signaling. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of matrix mechanical property-induced cancer cell migration and malignant behaviors. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Here, we examined the relationship between substrate stiffness and tumor cellular motility by using polyacrylamide (PAA) substrates to simulate the stages in vivo of breast cancer. The results elucidated the different regulatory roles between the two ROCK isoforms in cell motility and demonstrated that stiff substrate (38 kPa) mediated RhoA/ROCK1/p-MLC and RhoA/ROCK2/p-cofilin pathways through integrin β1-FAK activation and eventually promoted directional migration. Our discoveries would have significant implications in the understanding of the interaction between cancer cells and tumor microenvironments, and hence, it might provide new insights into the metastasis inhibition, which could be an adjuvant way of cancer therapy.
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Hwang JH, Han U, Yang M, Choi Y, Choi J, Lee JM, Jung HS, Hong J, Hong JH. Artificial cellular nano-environment composed of collagen-based nanofilm promotes osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Acta Biomater 2019; 86:247-256. [PMID: 30594632 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In regenerative medicine, the generation of therapeutic stem cells and tissue engineering are important for replacing damaged tissues. Numerous studies have attempted to produce cellular components that mimic the native tissue for gaining optimal function. Particularly, the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition plays an important role in cellular functions including determining the fates of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, we evaluated the osteogenic effects of a nanofilm in which oppositely charged polyelectrolytes were alternately adsorbed onto the cell surface to create an artificial ECM environment for single MSCs. Interestingly, nanofilm composed of collagen (Col) and alginate (AA) showed relatively high stiffness and MSCs coated with the Col/AA nanofilm showed increased osteogenic differentiation efficiency compared to other nanofilm-coated MSCs. Further analysis revealed that the Col/AA nanofilm coating stimulated osteogenesis by activating transcriptional coactivators with the PDZ binding motif through extracellular signal-related kinase and p38 MAPK signaling. This nano-sized cellular coating will facilitate the development of nanotechnology for controlling cellular functions and advance stem cell-based clinical applications for regenerative medicine. STATE OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we developed an artificial cellular nano-environment formed by multilayer nanofilms. We demonstrated that the nanofilms introduced to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) stimulate osteogenic differentiation by regulating intracellular signaling. Among the various nanofilm combinations, the induction of osteogenic gene transcription in collagen (Col) and alginate (AA) film-coated MSCs was the most pronounced compared to that on other nanofilms. A minimum number of Col/AA nanofilm bilayers (n = 2) was required for effective induction of MSC osteogenic differentiation. In addition, we observed the correlation between the promoting effect of osteogenic differentiation and stiffness of the nanofilm. Our results may be useful for developing a cell coating model system widely applicable in bioengineering and regenerative medicine.
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Abstract
The composition and mechanical properties of the cellular microenvironment along with the resulting distribution of cellular devolved forces can affect cellular function and behavior. Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) provides a method to measure the forces applied to a surface by adherent cells. Numerous TFM systems have been described in literature. Broadly, these involve culturing cells on a flexible substrate with embedded fluorescent markers which are imaged before and after relaxion of cell forces. From these images, a displacement field is calculated, and from the displacement field, a traction field. Here we describe a TFM system using polyacrylamide substrates and a microarray spotter to fabricate arrays of multicellular islands on various combinations of extra cellular matrix (ECM) proteins or other biomolecules. A microscope with an automated stage is used to image each of the cellular islands before and after lysing cells with a detergent. These images are analyzed in a semi-automated fashion using a series of MATLAB scripts which produce the displacement and traction fields, and summary data. By combining microarrays with a semi-automated implementation of TFM analysis, this protocol enables evaluation of the impact of substrate stiffness, matrix composition, and tissue geometry on cellular mechanical behavior in high throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Berg
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Gregory H Underhill
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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Parandakh A, Anbarlou A, Tafazzoli-Shadpour M, Ardeshirylajimi A, Khani MM. Substrate topography interacts with substrate stiffness and culture time to regulate mechanical properties and smooth muscle differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2019; 173:194-201. [PMID: 30292932 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.09.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Substrate stiffness and topography are two powerful means by which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) activities can be modulated. The effects of substrate stiffness on the MSCs mechanical properties were investigated previously, however, the role of substrate topography in this regard is not yet well understood. Moreover, in vessel wall, these two physical cues act simultaneously to regulate cellular function, hence it is important to investigate their cooperative effects on cellular activity. Herein, we investigated the combined effects of substrate stiffness, substrate topography and culture time on the mechanical behavior of MSCs. The MSCs were cultured on the stiff and soft substrates with or without micro-grooved topography for 10 days and their viscoelastic properties and smooth muscle (SM) gene expression were investigated on days 2, 6 and 10. In general, substrate topography significantly interacted with substrate stiffness as well as culture time in the modulation of cell viscoelastic behavior and SM gene expression. The micro-grooved, stiff substrates resulted in the maximum cell stiffness and gene expression of α-actin and h1-calponin, and these values were detected to be minimum in the smooth, soft substrates. The findings can be helpful in the mechano-regulation of MSCs for vascular tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azim Parandakh
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Anbarlou
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Abdolreza Ardeshirylajimi
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Mehdi Khani
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Abstract
B cells are essential to the adaptive immune system for providing the humoral immunity against cohorts of pathogens. The presentation of antigen to the B cell receptor (BCR) leads to the initiation of B cell activation, which is a process sensitive to the stiffness features of the substrates presenting the antigens. Mechanosensing of the B cells, potentiated through BCR signaling and the adhesion molecules, efficiently regulates B cell activation, proliferation and subsequent antibody responses. Defects in sensing of the antigen-presenting substrates can lead to the activation of autoreactive B cells in autoimmune diseases. The use of high-resolution, high-speed live-cell imaging along with the sophisticated biophysical materials, has uncovered the mechanisms underlying the initiation of B cell activation within seconds of its engagement with the antigen presenting substrates. In this chapter, we reviewed studies that have contributed to uncover the molecular mechanisms of B cell mechanosensing during the initiation of B cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samina Shaheen
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengpeng Wan
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Kabeer Haneef
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingyue Zeng
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Jing
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanli Liu
- Center for life sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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Ali MS, Deb N, Wang X, Rahman M, Christopher GF, Lacerda CMR. Correlation between valvular interstitial cell morphology and phenotypes: A novel way to detect activation. Tissue Cell 2018; 54:38-46. [PMID: 30309508 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) constitute the major cell population in heart valves. Quiescent fibroblastic VICs are seen in adult healthy valves. They become activated myofibroblastic VICs during development, in diseased valves and in vitro. 2D substrate stiffness within a 5-15 kPa range along with high passage numbers promote VIC activation in vitro. In this study, we characterize VIC quiescence and activation across a 1-21 kPa range of substrate stiffness and passages. We define a cell morphology characterization system for VICs as they transform. We hypothesize that VICs show distinct morphological characteristics in different activation states and the morphology distribution varies with substrate stiffness and passage number. Four VIC morphologies - tailed, spindle, rhomboid and triangle - account for the majority of VIC in this study. Using α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), non-muscle myosin heavy chain B (SMemb) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) as activation markers for validation, we developed a system where we categorize morphology distribution of VIC cultures, to be potentially used as a non-destructive detection method of activation state. We also show that this system can be used to force stiffness-induced deactivation. The reversibility in VIC activation has important implications in in vitro research and tissue engineering.
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Haugh MG, Vaughan TJ, Madl CM, Raftery RM, McNamara LM, O'Brien FJ, Heilshorn SC. Investigating the interplay between substrate stiffness and ligand chemistry in directing mesenchymal stem cell differentiation within 3D macro-porous substrates. Biomaterials 2018; 171:23-33. [PMID: 29677521 PMCID: PMC5997298 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Dimensionality can have a profound impact on stiffness-mediated differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, while we have begun to understand cellular response when encapsulated within 3D substrates, the behavior of cells within macro-porous substrates is relatively underexplored. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of macro-porous topographies on stiffness-mediated differentiation of MSCs. We developed macro-porous recombinant elastin-like protein (ELP) substrates that allow independent control of mechanical properties and ligand chemistry. We then used computational modeling to probe the impact of pore topography on the mechanical stimulus that cells are exposed to within these substrates, and finally we investigated stiffness induced biases towards adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs within macro-porous substrates. Computational modeling revealed that there is significant heterogeneity in the mechanical stimuli that cells are exposed to within porous substrates and that this heterogeneity is predominantly due to the wide range of possible cellular orientations within the pores. Surprisingly, MSCs grown within 3D porous substrates respond to increasing substrate stiffness by up-regulating both osteogenesis and adipogenesis. These results demonstrate that within porous substrates the behavior of MSCs diverges from previously observed responses to substrate stiffness, emphasizing the importance of topography as a determinant of cellular behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Haugh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ted J Vaughan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | | | - Rosanne M Raftery
- Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, RCSI & TCD, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laoise M McNamara
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Fergal J O'Brien
- Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, RCSI & TCD, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Armiger TJ, Lampi MC, Reinhart-King CA, Dahl KN. Determining mechanical features of modulated epithelial monolayers using subnuclear particle tracking. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.216010. [PMID: 29748381 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.216010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Force generation within cells, mediated by motor proteins along cytoskeletal networks, maintains the function of multicellular structures during homeostasis and when generating collective forces. Here, we describe the use of chromatin dynamics to detect cellular force propagation [a technique termed SINK (sensors from intranuclear kinetics)] and investigate the force response of cells to disruption of the monolayer and changes in substrate stiffness. We find that chromatin dynamics change in a substrate stiffness-dependent manner within epithelial monolayers. We also investigate point defects within monolayers to map the impact on the strain field of a heterogeneous monolayer. We find that cell monolayers behave as a colloidal assembly rather than as a continuum since the data fit an exponential decay; the lateral characteristic length of recovery from the mechanical defect is ∼50 µm for cells with a 10 µm spacing. At distances greater than this characteristic length, cells behave similarly to those in a fully intact monolayer. This work demonstrates the power of SINK to investigate diseases including cancer and atherosclerosis that result from single cells or heterogeneities in monolayers.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis J Armiger
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marsha C Lampi
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Kris Noel Dahl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Okamoto T, Takagi Y, Kawamoto E, Park EJ, Usuda H, Wada K, Shimaoka M. Reduced substrate stiffness promotes M2-like macrophage activation and enhances peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression. Exp Cell Res 2018; 367:264-273. [PMID: 29627321 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The increased stiffness of the extracellular microenvironment observed in cancer and atherosclerosis is thought to regulate the activation of tissue-resident immune cells. However, it remains to be determined whether such substrate stiffness affects macrophage activation phenotypes. Here, we have studied the impact of substrate stiffness on in vitro activation phenotypes of the human monocyte cell line THP-1. THP-1 cells were activated while being cultured on 1%, 4%, 10% agarose gel (soft substrate) or on a plastic plate (stiff substrate). We have shown that a soft, versus a stiff, substrate attenuates the pro-inflammatory activity of M1 promoting-activated THP-1 cells. In addition, we have found that M1-related marker expression and phagocytic activity was lower in THP-1 cells activated on a soft substrate compared to cells on stiff substrates. THP-1 cells alternatively activated on soft substrates showed enhanced M2-like phenotypes. We have found that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression was up-regulated in THP-1 cells activated on a soft substrate. We have shown that the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 partially suppresses M2-like activation of THP-1 cells activated on a soft substrate. Substrate stiffness is, therefore, an important factor in regulating the balance of the pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 activation phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Okamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-city, Shimane 693-8501, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
| | - Yoshimi Takagi
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Eiji Kawamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan; Emergency and Critical Care Center, Mie University Hospital, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Eun Jeong Park
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Haruki Usuda
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-city, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
| | - Koichiro Wada
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-city, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
| | - Motomu Shimaoka
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
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Xia T, Zhao R, Feng F, Song Y, Zhang Y, Dong L, Lv Y, Yang L. Gene expression profiling of human hepatocytes grown on differing substrate stiffness. Biotechnol Lett 2018; 40:809-818. [PMID: 29605939 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-018-2536-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the effects of different substrate stiffness on human hepatocytes using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology. The stiffness was corresponding to physiology and pathology stiffness of liver tissues. RESULTS With the aid of RNA-Seq technology, our study characterizes the transcriptome of hepatocytes cultured on soft, moderate, stiff and plastic substrates. Compared to soft substrate, our RNA-Seq results revealed 1131 genes that were up-regulated and 2534 that were down-regulated on moderate substrate, 1370 genes that were up-regulated and 2677 down-regulated genes on stiff substrate. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were associated with the regulation of actin cytoskeleton, focal adhesion, tight junction, adherens junction as well as antigen processing and presentation. RNA-Seq results were further verified by a quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSION Our study provides a comprehensive picture of the gene expression landscape in hepatocytes grown on different substrate stiffness, offering insights into the role of substrate stiffness in hepatic pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Xia
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Runze Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Fan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yijiang Song
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Lili Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yonggang Lv
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China.
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Srinivasan A, Chang SY, Zhang S, Toh WS, Toh YC. Substrate stiffness modulates the multipotency of human neural crest derived ectomesenchymal stem cells via CD44 mediated PDGFR signaling. Biomaterials 2018; 167:153-167. [PMID: 29571051 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been isolated from various mesodermal and ectodermal tissues. While the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of MSCs stemming from their developmental origins has been acknowledged, the genetic and environmental factors underpinning these differences are not well-understood. Here, we investigated whether substrate stiffness mediated mechanical cues can directly modulate the development of ectodermal MSCs (eMSCs) from a precursor human neural crest stem cell (NCSC) population. We showed that NCSC-derived eMSCs were transcriptionally and functionally distinct from mesodermal bone marrow MSCs. eMSCs derived on lower substrate stiffness specifically increased their expression of the MSC marker, CD44 in a Rho-ROCK signaling dependent manner, which resulted in a concomitant increase in the eMSCs' adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential. This mechanically-induced effect can only be maintained for short-term upon switching back to a stiff substrate but can be sustained for longer-term when the eMSCs were exclusively maintained on soft substrates. We also discovered that CD44 expression modulated eMSC self-renewal and multipotency via the downregulation of downstream platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) signaling. This is the first instance demonstrating that substrate stiffness not only influences the differentiation trajectories of MSCs but also their derivation from upstream progenitors, such as NCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshaya Srinivasan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, #04-10, Singapore 117583
| | - Shu-Yung Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, #04-10, Singapore 117583
| | - Shipin Zhang
- Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, 11 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119083
| | - Wei Seong Toh
- NUS Tissue Engineering Program (NUSTEP), National University of Singapore, DSO (Kent Ridge), 27 Medical Drive, #04-01, Singapore 117510; Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, 11 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119083
| | - Yi-Chin Toh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, #04-10, Singapore 117583; Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, Centre for Life Sciences, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456; NUS Tissue Engineering Program (NUSTEP), National University of Singapore, DSO (Kent Ridge), 27 Medical Drive, #04-01, Singapore 117510; Biomedical Institute for Global Health, Research and Technology (BIGHEART), MD6, 14 Medical Drive, #14-01, Singapore 117599.
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Rey I, Garcia DA, Wheatley BA, Song W, Upadhyaya A. Biophysical Techniques to Study B Cell Activation: Single-Molecule Imaging and Force Measurements. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1707:51-68. [PMID: 29388099 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7474-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cells of the adaptive immune system recognize pathogenic peptides through specialized receptors on their membranes. The engagement of these receptors with antigen leads to cell activation, which induces profound changes in the cell including cytoskeleton remodeling and membrane deformation. During this process, receptors and signaling molecules undergo spatiotemporal reorganization to form signaling microclusters and the immunological synapse. The cytoskeletal and membrane dynamics also leads to exertion of forces on the cell-substrate interface. In this chapter we describe two techniques-one for single-molecule imaging of B cell receptors to measure their diffusive properties as cells get activated on supported lipid bilayers; and the second for visualizing and quantifying cellular forces using elastic surfaces to stimulate T and B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rey
- Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - David A Garcia
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | | | - Wenxia Song
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Arpita Upadhyaya
- Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. .,Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. .,Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, 1151, PSC Bldg., College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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Li Y, Tang CB, Kilian KA. Matrix Mechanics Influence Fibroblast-Myofibroblast Transition by Directing the Localization of Histone Deacetylase 4. Cell Mol Bioeng 2017; 10:405-415. [PMID: 31719870 PMCID: PMC6816600 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-017-0493-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The propagation of mechanochemical signals from the extracellular matrix to the cell nucleus has emerged as a central feature in regulating cellular differentiation and de-differentiation. This process of outside-in signaling and the associated mechanotransduction pathways have been well described in numerous developmental and pathological contexts. However, it remains less clear how mechanotransduction influences the activity of chromatin modifying enzymes that direct gene expression programs. OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this study was to explore how matrix mechanics and geometric confinement influence histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in fibroblast culture. METHODS Polyacrylamide hydrogels were formed and functionalized with fibronectin patterns using soft lithography. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were cultured on the islands until confluent, fixed, and immunolabeled for microscopy. RESULTS After 24 h MEFs cultured on soft hydrogels (0.5 kPa) show increased expression of class I HDACs relative to MEFs cultured on stiff hydrogels (100 kPa). A member of the class II family, HDAC4 shows a similar trend; however, there is a pronounced cytoplasmic localization on soft hydrogels suggesting a role in outside-in cytoplasmic signaling. Pharmacological inhibitor studies suggest that the opposing activities of extracellular related kinase 1/2 (ERK) and protein phosphatase 2a (PP2a) influence the localization of HDAC4. MEFs cultured on the soft hydrogels show enhanced expression of markers associated with a fibroblast-myofibroblast transition (Paxillin, αSMA). CONCLUSIONS We show that the phosphorylation state and cellular localization of HDAC4 is influenced by matrix mechanics, with evidence for a role in mechanotransduction and the regulation of gene expression associated with fibroblast-myofibroblast transitions. This work establishes a link between outside-in signaling and epigenetic regulation, which will assist efforts aimed at controlling gene regulation in engineered extracellular matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Claire B. Tang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Kristopher A. Kilian
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
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Maldonado M, Luu RJ, Ico G, Ospina A, Myung D, Shih HP, Nam J. Lineage- and developmental stage-specific mechanomodulation of induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation. Stem Cell Res Ther 2017; 8:216. [PMID: 28962663 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-017-0667-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To maximize the translational utility of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the ability to precisely modulate the differentiation of iPSCs to target phenotypes is critical. Although the effects of the physical cell niche on stem cell differentiation are well documented, current approaches to direct step-wise differentiation of iPSCs have been typically limited to the optimization of soluble factors. In this regard, we investigated how temporally varied substrate stiffness affects the step-wise differentiation of iPSCs towards various lineages/phenotypes. METHODS Electrospun nanofibrous substrates with different reduced Young's modulus were utilized to subject cells to different mechanical environments during the differentiation process towards representative phenotypes from each of three germ layer derivatives including motor neuron, pancreatic endoderm, and chondrocyte. Phenotype-specific markers of each lineage/stage were utilized to determine differentiation efficiency by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence imaging for gene and protein expression analysis, respectively. RESULTS The results presented in this proof-of-concept study are the first to systematically demonstrate the significant role of the temporally varied mechanical microenvironment on the differentiation of stem cells. Our results demonstrate that the process of differentiation from pluripotent cells to functional end-phenotypes is mechanoresponsive in a lineage- and differentiation stage-specific manner. CONCLUSIONS Lineage/developmental stage-dependent optimization of electrospun substrate stiffness provides a unique opportunity to enhance differentiation efficiency of iPSCs for their facilitated therapeutic applications.
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50
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McCutchen CN, Zignego DL, June RK. Metabolic responses induced by compression of chondrocytes in variable-stiffness microenvironments. J Biomech 2017; 64:49-58. [PMID: 28985893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cells sense and respond to mechanical loads in a process called mechanotransduction. These processes are disrupted in the chondrocytes of cartilage during joint disease. A key driver of cellular mechanotransduction is the stiffness of the surrounding matrix. Many cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix that allows for tissue mechanical function. Although prior studies demonstrate that extracellular stiffness is important in cell differentiation, morphology and phenotype, it remains largely unknown how a cell's biological response to cyclical loading varies with changes in surrounding substrate stiffness. Understanding these processes is important for understanding cells that are cyclically loaded during daily in vivo activities (e.g. chondrocytes and walking). This study uses high-performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry to identify metabolomic changes in primary chondrocytes under cyclical compression for 0-30minutes in low- and high-stiffness environments. Metabolomic analysis reveals metabolites and pathways that are sensitive to substrate stiffness, duration of cyclical compression, and a combination of both suggesting changes in extracellular stiffness in vivo alter mechanosensitive signaling. Our results further suggest that cyclical loading minimizes matrix deterioration and increases matrix production in chondrocytes. This study shows the importance of modeling in vivo stiffness with in vitro models to understand cellular mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley N McCutchen
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, United States
| | - Donald L Zignego
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, United States
| | - Ronald K June
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, United States; Department of Cell Biology & Neurosciences, Montana State University, United States; Department of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, University of Washington, United States.
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