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Ong W, Marinval N, Lin J, Nai MH, Chong YS, Pinese C, Sajikumar S, Lim CT, Ffrench-Constant C, Bechler ME, Chew SY. Biomimicking Fiber Platform with Tunable Stiffness to Study Mechanotransduction Reveals Stiffness Enhances Oligodendrocyte Differentiation but Impedes Myelination through YAP-Dependent Regulation. Small 2020; 16:e2003656. [PMID: 32790058 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A key hallmark of many diseases, especially those in the central nervous system (CNS), is the change in tissue stiffness due to inflammation and scarring. However, how such changes in microenvironment affect the regenerative process remains poorly understood. Here, a biomimicking fiber platform that provides independent variation of fiber structural and intrinsic stiffness is reported. To demonstrate the functionality of these constructs as a mechanotransduction study platform, these substrates are utilized as artificial axons and the effects of axon structural versus intrinsic stiffness on CNS myelination are independently analyzed. While studies have shown that substrate stiffness affects oligodendrocyte differentiation, the effects of mechanical stiffness on the final functional state of oligodendrocyte (i.e., myelination) has not been shown prior to this. Here, it is demonstrated that a stiff mechanical microenvironment impedes oligodendrocyte myelination, independently and distinctively from oligodendrocyte differentiation. Yes-associated protein is identified to be involved in influencing oligodendrocyte myelination through mechanotransduction. The opposing effects on oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination provide important implications for current work screening for promyelinating drugs, since these efforts have focused mainly on promoting oligodendrocyte differentiation. Thus, the platform may have considerable utility as part of a drug discovery program in identifying molecules that promote both differentiation and myelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Ong
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
- NTU Institute for Health Technologies (Health Tech NTU), Interdisciplinary Disciplinary School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637533, Singapore
| | - Nicolas Marinval
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Junquan Lin
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Mui Hoon Nai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Yee-Song Chong
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117593, Singapore
- Life Sciences Institute Neurobiology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Coline Pinese
- Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules (IBMM), UMR CNRS 5247, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, Montpellier, F-34093, France
| | - Sreedharan Sajikumar
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117593, Singapore
- Life Sciences Institute Neurobiology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Charles Ffrench-Constant
- MRC-Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Marie E Bechler
- MRC-Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Sing Yian Chew
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
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