Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

2.7K
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...
2.7K
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

8.0K
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...
8.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Wavy geometry controls nuclear morphology, migration, and YAP signaling independent of myosin II contractility.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same author

Tension anisotropy drives fibroblast phenotypic transition by self-reinforcing cell-extracellular matrix mechanical feedback.

Nature materials·2025
Same author

Zyxin and actin structure confer anisotropic YAP mechanotransduction.

Acta biomaterialia·2022
Same author

Deformation of the nucleus by TGFβ1 via the remodeling of nuclear envelope and histone isoforms.

Epigenetics & chromatin·2022
Same author

3D-Printed Collagen-Based Waveform Microfibrous Scaffold for Periodontal Ligament Reconstruction.

International journal of molecular sciences·2021
Same author

Aberrant mechanosensing in injured intervertebral discs as a result of boundary-constraint disruption and residual-strain loss.

Nature biomedical engineering·2019

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro
09:50

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

7.7K

Micro-composite substrates for the study of cell-matrix mechanical interactions.

Pen-hsiu Grace Chao1, Shou-Chien Sheng1, Wei-Ren Chang1

  • 1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School and Medicine and School of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Rm 503 Zhanshulou, 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, Taiwan.

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
|February 22, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Researchers created a new microcomposite substrate (μCS) platform to study how cells migrate along stiffness gradients. This tool revealed that ligament fibroblasts are more sensitive to mechanical cues than mesenchymal stem cells.

Keywords:
BiomaterialsDurotaxisMechanotransductionMigrationStem cells

More Related Videos

Preparation of Complaint Matrices for Quantifying Cellular Contraction
11:38

Preparation of Complaint Matrices for Quantifying Cellular Contraction

Published on: December 14, 2010

17.3K
Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification
09:11

Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification

Published on: February 19, 2015

9.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 2, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro
09:50

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

7.7K
Preparation of Complaint Matrices for Quantifying Cellular Contraction
11:38

Preparation of Complaint Matrices for Quantifying Cellular Contraction

Published on: December 14, 2010

17.3K
Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification
09:11

Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification

Published on: February 19, 2015

9.6K

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Cell Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Cellular behavior, including migration and morphology, is influenced by physical and chemical cues in the microenvironment.
  • Directed cell migration along substrate stiffness gradients (durotaxis) is crucial for biological processes like development and wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an accessible platform for generating physiological stiffness gradients to study cell mechanosensing.
  • To investigate the directed migration of ligament fibroblasts (LFs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on these gradients.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a microcomposite substrate (μCS) platform with a microfabricated base and collagen hydrogel top.
  • Creation of linear stiffness gradients without altering chemical or transport properties.
  • Culturing and observing the migration of LFs and MSCs on the μCS platform in 2D and 3D environments.

Main Results:

  • Both LFs and MSCs exhibited directed migration in response to the stiffness gradient.
  • Ligament fibroblasts demonstrated significantly higher mechanosensitivity compared to mesenchymal stem cells.
  • Observed polarized distribution of nonmuscle myosin IIB on the gradient, consistent with mechanotransduction.

Conclusions:

  • The μCS platform provides a robust and accessible system for studying cell mechanosensing.
  • The platform offers a more physiological microenvironment for cell-based studies.
  • Differential mechanosensitivity between cell types, like LFs and MSCs, can be effectively studied using this system.