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A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro
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Cell shape regulation through mechanosensory feedback control.

Krithika Mohan1, Tianzhi Luo2, Douglas N Robinson2

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|July 31, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Dictyostelium amoebae cells sense and respond to mechanical forces to maintain shape. A new computational model explains how myosin II filament assembly and force-dependent binding regulate cell shape during mechanical stress.

Keywords:
cell shape regulationforce feedbackmechanosensingmyosin II

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics and mechanotransduction
  • Computational biology and biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal dynamics and regulation

Background:

  • Cells dynamically alter morphology in response to internal and external signals.
  • Mechanosensing and mechanical feedback are crucial for cell shape regulation, particularly during division and migration.
  • The interplay between mechanical and biochemical signals in cell shape control is complex and challenging to study experimentally.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a computational model explaining mechanosensory and mechanoresponsive behaviors in Dictyostelium cells.
  • To elucidate the feedback mechanisms underlying cell shape regulation.
  • To provide a theoretical framework for understanding cellular responses to mechanical perturbations.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a multiscale computational model for myosin II bipolar thick filament assembly.
  • Incorporation of cooperative and force-dependent myosin-actin binding dynamics.
  • Simulation of Dictyostelium cell behavior during micropipette aspiration experiments.

Main Results:

  • The model successfully explains observed mechanosensory and mechanoresponsive behaviors in Dictyostelium.
  • Identified key feedback mechanisms within the myosin II assembly and actin binding processes.
  • Demonstrated the role of these feedbacks in cellular retraction and shape regulation under mechanical stress.

Conclusions:

  • Computational modeling provides critical insights into complex cellular mechanobiology.
  • Force-dependent myosin II dynamics and feedback loops are essential for cell shape maintenance.
  • The model offers a mechanistic explanation for how Dictyostelium cells regulate shape against external mechanical disturbances.