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Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

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Blood vessel formation starts early during embryonic development, around day 7. In the extraembryonic yolk sac, mesodermal precursor cells called hemangioblast proliferate and differentiate into angioblast. Angioblasts express vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 or VEGFR2, which binds VEGF-A, a proangiogenic factor, guiding blood vessel formation. VEGF signaling promotes angioblasts to form a blood island in the developing embryo. Angioblasts further differentiate, giving rise to...
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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...
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Endothelial Mechanosignaling: Does One Sensor Fit All?

Chris Givens1, Ellie Tzima1,2

  • 11 Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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|March 31, 2016
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Endothelial cells (ECs) sense blood flow forces, but how they detect shear stress is unclear. Future research needs to identify key mechanosensors and their roles in vascular health and development.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Vascular forces, particularly shear stress from blood flow, regulate cardiovascular physiology and pathology.
  • Endothelial cells (ECs) at the blood vessel interface are constantly exposed to diverse shear stress patterns, influenced by vessel geometry.
  • ECs possess numerous potential mechanosensors on their surfaces that translate physical forces into biochemical signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the incompletely understood mechanisms of endothelial mechanosensing.
  • To investigate the role of EC mechanosensors during embryonic development and in adult vascular beds.
  • To address the challenges in understanding cross-talk and integration of mechanosensing pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Integrative approaches are required to understand how proposed mechanosensors detect and respond to shear stress.
  • Further research is needed to determine the hierarchy and collaborative function of these mechanosensors.
  • Investigating the primary shear stress sensors during development is crucial.

Main Results:

  • ECs possess multiple mechanosensors that detect and transduce blood flow forces.
  • Different shear stress patterns elicit differential responses in ECs.
  • The precise mechanisms and hierarchy of these mechanosensors remain to be fully elucidated.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding endothelial mechanosensing is critical for cardiovascular health.
  • Identifying the specific roles and interactions of mechanosensors is a key future direction.
  • Integrative studies are necessary to define the absolute function of potential mechanosensors in force-dependent signaling.