Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
12:03
Microfluidic Genipin Deposition Technique for Extended Culture of Micropatterned Vascular Muscular Thin Films
Published on: June 26, 2015
Pericyte actomyosin-mediated contraction at the cell-material interface can modulate the microvascular niche
Sunyoung Lee1, Adam Zeiger, John M Maloney
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Summary
Pericytes use actin-mediated forces to buckle membranes, influencing microvasculature. This mechanical stimulation affects vascular endothelial cells, impacting angiogenesis in health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Vascular biology
Background:
- Pericytes are crucial cells surrounding capillaries, interacting with endothelial cells.
- These interactions influence microvasculature development and function.
- Pericytes possess contractile properties that can deform their environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pericyte contractile forces deform underlying membranes.
- To quantify the mechanical forces exerted by pericytes.
- To explore the impact of pericyte-induced mechanical changes on endothelial cells and angiogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Culturing pericytes on deformable silicone substrata.
- Imaging pericyte-generated wrinkles using optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
- Quantifying local stiffness and contractile forces using AFM nanoindentation and a mechanical model.
- Assessing the effects of cytoskeletal inhibitors on pericyte mechanics.
Main Results:
- Pericytes generated significant buckling contractions (average 38%) on the substrata via actin-mediated forces.
- Actomyosin forces were sufficient to deform the membrane.
- Pharmacological inhibition of the cytoskeleton altered contractile forces and local stiffness.
Conclusions:
- Pericyte contractile forces can deform the extracellular matrix in vitro.
- These mechanical deformations can act as a stimulus to adjacent vascular endothelial cells.
- Pericyte-induced mechanical changes may modulate cell-cell interactions, influencing angiogenesis in physiological and pathological contexts.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Cell-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...
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
01:26Tension 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...
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
01:10The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells
Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They are held...
01:24Overview 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...
01:17Autoregulation of Blood Flow
Autoregulation mechanisms are characterized by their inherent capacity for self-regulation without necessitating specific nervous stimulation or endocrine control. These mechanisms facilitate the adjustment of blood flow and, therefore, perfusion specific to each tissue region. This self-regulation encompasses chemical signals and myogenic controls.
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation.
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation.
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...