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Invited review: engineering approaches to cytoskeletal mechanics
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston Massachusetts 02215, USA. dimitrij@engc.bu.edu
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|October 29, 2000
Summary
Cells sense mechanical forces through their cytoskeleton (CSK), a network of biopolymers. Engineering approaches help quantify how CSK structures manage force transmission and cellular mechanical responses.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cells possess mechanisms to sense mechanical forces and their impact on cellular functions.
- The cytoskeleton (CSK), an intracellular network, is crucial for transducing mechanical signals into biochemical ones.
- Understanding CSK force balance is key to deciphering how mechanical forces regulate cellular functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review engineering approaches used to study cytoskeleton mechanics over the past two decades.
- To identify and quantify the contributions of CSK structures to cellular mechanical force balance.
- To elucidate mechanisms controlling mechanical force transmission and equilibrium within the CSK.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing novel theoretical models of cellular mechanics.
- Employing new experimental techniques for measuring cell mechanical properties.
- Focusing on engineering approaches applied to CSK mechanics.
Main Results:
- New techniques and models enable precise measurement of CSK contributions to cellular force balance.
- Engineering approaches have provided insights into CSK force transduction mechanisms.
- Quantification of CSK structure contributions to overall cell mechanics is now feasible.
Conclusions:
- Engineering strategies are vital for understanding cell mechanosensing and CSK force regulation.
- Advances in measurement techniques and theoretical models enhance our ability to study CSK mechanics.
- This review highlights the significant role of engineering in advancing cell mechanical studies.