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Ayad NM, Lakins JN, Ghagre A, Ehrlicher AJ, Weaver VM. Tissue tension permits β-catenin phosphorylation to drive mesoderm specification in human embryonic stem cells. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.14.549074. [PMID: 37503095 PMCID: PMC10370032 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549074] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The role of morphogenetic forces in cell fate specification is an area of intense interest. Our prior studies suggested that the development of high cell-cell tension in human embryonic stem cells (hESC) colonies permits the Src-mediated phosphorylation of junctional β-catenin that accelerates its release to potentiate Wnt-dependent signaling critical for initiating mesoderm specification. Using an ectopically expressed nonphosphorylatable mutant of β-catenin (Y654F), we now provide direct evidence that impeding tension-dependent Src-mediated β-catenin phosphorylation impedes the expression of Brachyury (T) and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) necessary for mesoderm specification. Addition of exogenous Wnt3a or inhibiting GSK3β activity rescued mesoderm expression, emphasizing the importance of force dependent Wnt signaling in regulating mechanomorphogenesis. Our work provides a framework for understanding tension-dependent β-catenin/Wnt signaling in the self-organization of tissues during developmental processes including gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia M.E. Ayad
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Johnathon N. Lakins
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ajinkya Ghagre
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada
| | - Allen J. Ehrlicher
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Structural Biology, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Valerie M. Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Kim HR, Warrington SJ, López-Guajardo A, Al Hennawi K, Cook SL, Griffith ZDJ, Symmes D, Zhang T, Qu Z, Xu Y, Chen R, Gad AKB. ALD-R491 regulates vimentin filament stability and solubility, cell contractile force, cell migration speed and directionality. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:926283. [PMID: 36483676 PMCID: PMC9723350 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.926283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasizing cells express the intermediate filament protein vimentin, which is used to diagnose invasive tumors in the clinic. However, the role of vimentin in cell motility, and if the assembly of non-filamentous variants of vimentin into filaments regulates cell migration remains unclear. We observed that the vimentin-targeting drug ALD-R491 increased the stability of vimentin filaments, by reducing filament assembly and/or disassembly. ALD-R491-treatment also resulted in more bundled and disorganized filaments and an increased pool of non-filamentous vimentin. This was accompanied by a reduction in size of cell-matrix adhesions and increased cellular contractile forces. Moreover, during cell migration, cells showed erratic formation of lamellipodia at the cell periphery, loss of coordinated cell movement, reduced cell migration speed, directionality and an elongated cell shape with long thin extensions at the rear that often detached. Taken together, these results indicate that the stability of vimentin filaments and the soluble pool of vimentin regulate the speed and directionality of cell migration and the capacity of cells to migrate in a mechanically cohesive manner. These observations suggest that the stability of vimentin filaments governs the adhesive, physical and migratory properties of cells, and expands our understanding of vimentin functions in health and disease, including cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyejeong Rosemary Kim
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ana López-Guajardo
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Khairat Al Hennawi
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L. Cook
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Zak D. J. Griffith
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Deebie Symmes
- Aluda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Tao Zhang
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ruihuan Chen
- Aluda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Annica K. B. Gad
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Madeira Chemistry Research Centre, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
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Mittal N, Han SJ. High-Resolution, Highly-Integrated Traction Force Microscopy Software. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e233. [PMID: 34491632 PMCID: PMC8428277 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.233] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Accurate measurement of cellular traction force is critical for understanding physical interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix. Traction force microscopy (TFM) has become the most widely used tool for this purpose. While TFM has made continual progress in terms of resolution and accuracy, there have been challenges regarding obtaining user-friendly software and choosing the right values for parameters and sub-processes associated with the software. Here we provide step-by-step instructions for a MATLAB-based TFM software application equipped with multiple methods for image deformation quantification and force reconstruction, along with clarification on the computational meaning of the parameters within the software. We outline how to choose the optimal sub-methods and values for parameters for each process, depending on the characteristics of images and purpose of the analyses. The software's runtime is 20, 4, and 0.05 min by Fast BEM L1 (Boundary Element Method L1-regularization), Fast BEM L2 (L2-regularization), and FTTC (Fourier Transform Traction Cytometry), respectively, in addition to 7 min of particle-tracking velocimetry-based deformation tracking, for a single image (1280 × 960 pixel) on a standard workstation. Finally, the colocalization accuracies, in reference to a paxillin-GFP image, are compared between the three force reconstruction methods. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Setting up the TFM package in MATLAB Basic Protocol 2: Running the TFM package Alternate Protocol 1: Stage drift correction: Efficient subpixel registration Alternate Protocol 2: Force field calculation: FastBEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Mittal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
| | - Sangyoon J. Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
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Obenaus AM, Mollica MY, Sniadecki NJ. (De)form and Function: Measuring Cellular Forces with Deformable Materials and Deformable Structures. Adv Healthc Mater 2020; 9:e1901454. [PMID: 31951099 PMCID: PMC7274881 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201901454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability for biological cells to produce mechanical forces is important for the development, function, and homeostasis of tissue. The measurement of cellular forces is not a straightforward task because individual cells are microscopic in size and the forces they produce are at the nanonewton scale. Consequently, studies in cell mechanics rely on advanced biomaterials or flexible structures that permit one to infer these forces by the deformation they impart on the material or structure. Herein, the scientific progression on the use of deformable materials and deformable structures to measure cellular forces are reviewed. The findings and insights made possible with these approaches in the field of cell mechanics are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava M Obenaus
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Molly Y Mollica
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Nathan J Sniadecki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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