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Related Concept Videos

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

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Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that form the sarcomere found in skeletal muscle tissues for regulating muscle contraction. Actin, a globular contractile protein, interacts with myosin for muscle contraction. The skeletal tissue appears striped or striated under a microscope due to the repeated arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin along the length of myofibrils. Dark A bands and light I bands repeat along myofibrils, and the alignment of myofibrils in the cell causes...
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The Sarcomere01:08

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A sarcomere is a microscopic segment repeating in a myofibril. The sarcomere fundamentally consists of two main myofilaments: thick filaments called myosin and thin filaments called actin. These filaments interact by sliding past each other in response to stimulus. In addition to myosin and actin, several other proteins, such as tropomyosin, troponin, titin, nebulin, myomesin, α-actinin, and dystrophin, play crucial roles in regulating, structuring, and functioning of the sarcomere.
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The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells01:10

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Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They  are held...
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Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

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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. 
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Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

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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.
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Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles01:20

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Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
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Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
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Stiffness anisotropy coordinates supracellular contractility driving long-range myotube-ECM alignment.

Nathaniel P Skillin1,2,3, Bruce E Kirkpatrick1,2,3, Katie M Herbert1

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.

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Substrate stiffness anisotropy guides cell alignment and tissue patterning in skeletal muscle development. This study shows anisotropic biomaterials, not topography, can control cell behavior for tissue engineering.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cellular organization into tissues requires coordinated biological processes.
  • Skeletal muscle's inherent mechanical anisotropy influences its development.
  • Existing biomaterials struggle to replicate mechanical anisotropy without topographical cues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of substrate stiffness anisotropy in coordinating collective cell dynamics.
  • To determine if mechanical anisotropy, independent of topography, can direct tissue patterning.
  • To explore the impact of anisotropic biomaterials on C2C12 myotube alignment.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing C2C12 myoblasts on mechanically anisotropic and isotropic liquid crystalline polymer networks (LCNs).
  • Utilizing LCNs with controlled stiffness anisotropy but lacking surface topography.
  • Observing and analyzing collective cellular polarization, migration, and myotube formation.

Main Results:

  • Mechanically anisotropic LCNs induced collective cell polarization along the stiffest direction.
  • Substrate stiffness anisotropy drove millimeter-scale C2C12 myotube alignment.
  • Cell-ECM interactions during fusion amplified global tissue ordering on anisotropic substrates.
  • Isotropic LCNs resulted in localized, unaligned myotube domains.

Conclusions:

  • Substrate stiffness anisotropy is a key factor in directing large-scale tissue morphogenesis.
  • Anisotropic LCNs provide a topography-free platform to study mechanical influences on cell behavior.
  • These findings inform the design of biomaterials for advanced tissue engineering applications.