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
The Extracellular Matrix01:29

The Extracellular Matrix

9.2K
Overview
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse...
9.2K
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

7.3K
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...
7.3K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

2.7K
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...
2.7K
Extracellular Matrix01:26

Extracellular Matrix

3.1K
Unlike epithelial tissue, which is composed of cells closely packed with little or no extracellular space in between, connective tissue cells are dispersed in a matrix. This extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of fibrous proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin in a ground substance consisting of interstitial fluid, cell adhesion proteins, and proteoglycans. The proteoglycans form a gel-like material in the spaces between cells and provide hydration, buffering, binding, and force...
3.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Stress-relaxing granular bioprinting materials enable complex and uniform organoid self-organization.

Nature materials·2026
Same author

Glassy adhesion dynamics govern transitions between sub-diffusive and super-diffusive cancer cell migration on viscoelastic substrates.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Matrix viscoelasticity promotes liver cancer progression in the pre-cirrhotic liver.

Nature·2025
Same author

T Cells Tear Apart Confining Extracellular Matrix Via a Breaststroke-like Motion to Generate Migration Paths.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Monocytes use protrusive forces to generate migration paths in viscoelastic collagen-based extracellular matrices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Substrate stress relaxation regulates monolayer fluidity and leader cell formation for collectively migrating epithelia.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2025

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

8.3K

Cell-extracellular matrix mechanotransduction in 3D.

Aashrith Saraswathibhatla1, Dhiraj Indana1, Ovijit Chaudhuri2,3

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|February 27, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Cellular responses to extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics differ in 3D versus 2D environments. Understanding 3D mechanotransduction is crucial for tissue development, cancer, and developing new therapies.

More Related Videos

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
11:43

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

8.6K
Longitudinal Measurement of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity in 3D Tumor Models Using Particle-tracking Microrheology
11:11

Longitudinal Measurement of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity in 3D Tumor Models Using Particle-tracking Microrheology

Published on: June 10, 2014

11.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 8, 2025

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

8.3K
Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
11:43

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

8.6K
Longitudinal Measurement of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity in 3D Tumor Models Using Particle-tracking Microrheology
11:11

Longitudinal Measurement of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity in 3D Tumor Models Using Particle-tracking Microrheology

Published on: June 10, 2014

11.6K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Cellular behaviors like differentiation and migration are regulated by extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical properties via mechanotransduction.
  • Most research has focused on 2D cell cultures, but in vivo, cells interact with ECM in 3D, where mechanisms may differ significantly.
  • The 3D ECM presents complex mechanical properties and structural features, influencing cell behavior through confinement and dynamic interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding cell-ECM mechanotransduction within a 3D context.
  • To highlight the differences between 2D and 3D mechanotransduction mechanisms.
  • To emphasize the role of 3D ECM properties in regulating cell functions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on cell-ECM mechanotransduction in 2D and 3D.
  • Analysis of studies investigating the impact of ECM stiffness, viscoelasticity, and degradability in 3D.
  • Examination of cellular force generation mechanisms and signaling pathways in 3D environments.

Main Results:

  • 3D environments impose mechanical confinement, affecting cell volume and shape, and enabling force generation through protrusions and contractility.
  • ECM properties like stiffness, viscoelasticity, and degradability are critical regulators of cell behavior in 3D.
  • Mechanotransduction in 3D involves integrin-mediated and mechanosensitive ion channel pathways, both influencing nuclear transcription and cell phenotype.

Conclusions:

  • Cell-ECM mechanotransduction in 3D is distinct from 2D and involves unique cellular and matrix interactions.
  • Understanding 3D mechanotransduction is vital for processes ranging from tissue development to cancer progression.
  • This knowledge is increasingly applied in the development of mechanotherapies.