Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue.
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...

Cell Migration

Cell Migration

Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.

Cell Migration

Cell Migration

Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Prediction of low birth weight using machine learning-based analysis of environmental and maternal risk factors: insights from the Korean CHildren's ENvironmental health study (Ko-CHENS).

Environmental research·2026

Same author

Early-life infections and childhood cancer risk: a nationwide cohort study of 2 million children.

BMC cancer·2026

Same author

Maternal Coffee Consumption during Pregnancy and Risk of Allergic Diseases in Children: The Korean Children's Environmental Health Study.

Healthcare informatics research·2026

Same author

RNA stability enhancers for durable base-modified mRNA therapeutics.

Nature biotechnology·2025

Same author

Clustered macrophages cooperate to eliminate tumors via coordinated intrudopodia.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Radiation hormesis and reactive oxygen species-mediated stress priming in plants.

Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

Intercellular mechanotransduction during multicellular morphodynamics.

Jin-Hong Kim¹, Lawrence J Dooling, Anand R Asthagiri

¹Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface

|April 2, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mechanical forces shape tissues by influencing cell adhesions through various mechanotransduction modes. Understanding these forces is key to tissue development and disease research.

More Related Videos

An Optimized O9-1/Hydrogel System for Studying Mechanical Signals in Neural Crest Cells

An Optimized O9-1/Hydrogel System for Studying Mechanical Signals in Neural Crest Cells

Published on: August 13, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

An Optimized O9-1/Hydrogel System for Studying Mechanical Signals in Neural Crest Cells

An Optimized O9-1/Hydrogel System for Studying Mechanical Signals in Neural Crest Cells

Published on: August 13, 2021

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Developmental Biology

Background:

Cell adhesions are crucial for multicellular structure integrity.
Mechanical forces dynamically remodel tissues during development and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the distinct mechanisms of mechanical force transduction in multicellular contexts.
To highlight the recurring roles of these mechanotransduction modes in tissue shaping.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing literature on mechanotransduction in multicellular systems.
Analysis of force generation and transmission at the cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion levels.
Examination of forces related to cell proliferation and collective migration.

Main Results:

Identified five key modes of multicellular mechanotransduction: indirect sensing, cytoskeletal tug-of-war, cortical contractility, proliferation stresses, and collective migration forces.
These modes are fundamental recurring motifs in shaping multicellular structures.
Mechanotransduction operates across bicellular to multicellular length scales.

Conclusions:

Tissue dynamics (morphodynamics) result from spatio-temporal combinations of these mechanotransduction motifs.
A comprehensive understanding of tissue shaping requires integrating these force-driven mechanisms.
These principles apply broadly across diverse biological contexts, from development to disease.