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Related Concept Videos

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

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 Junctions01:26

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...
Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology
16:46

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Published on: June 3, 2014

Mechanical stretch increases Smad3-dependent CCN2 expression in inner meniscus cells.

Takayuki Furumatsu1, Tomoko Kanazawa, Yoshiaki Miyake

  • 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan.

Journal of Orthopaedic Research : Official Publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society
|May 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Mechanical stretch stimulates CCN2 and collagen production in inner meniscus cells. This suggests CCN family protein 2 (CCN2) plays a key role in regulating collagen expression within the meniscus.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Meniscal zone-specific properties are influenced by biomechanical forces.
  • The role of growth factors like CYR61/CTGF/NOV (CCN) 2 in meniscus cell function under mechanical stress is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical stretch-dependent expression of CCN2 in meniscus cells.
  • To elucidate the role of CCN2 in regulating collagen production within the meniscus.

Main Methods:

  • Uni-axial cyclic tensile strain (CTS) applied to meniscus cells.
  • Quantitative real-time PCR for gene expression analysis (CCN2, COL1A1).
  • Immunohistochemistry for protein localization (CCN2, Smad2/3).
  • Luciferase reporter assay for transactivation.
  • Chromatin immunoprecipitation to assess promoter binding.

Main Results:

  • CTS significantly upregulated CCN2 and COL1A1 gene expression in inner meniscus cells, but not outer meniscus cells.
  • Recombinant CCN2 enhanced COL1A1 expression specifically in inner meniscus cells.
  • CTS stimulated CCN2 synthesis and nuclear translocation of phosphorylated Smad2/3 in inner meniscus cells.
  • Smad3, but not Smad2, synergistically enhanced CCN2 promoter activity in stretched inner meniscus cells, with increased Smad3 binding to the CCN2 promoter.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanical stretch induces CCN2 expression and activity in inner meniscus cells.
  • CCN2 plays a critical role in regulating α1(I) collagen (COL1A1) expression in response to mechanical stretch in the inner meniscus.
  • The Smad3 signaling pathway is involved in the transcriptional regulation of CCN2 by mechanical stretch in meniscus cells.