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Sustained Strain Applied at High Rates Drives Dynamic Tensioning in Epithelial Cells.

Bahareh Tajvidi Safa1,2,3, Jordan Rosenbohm3, Amir Monemian Esfahani3

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Epithelial cells show a dual stress response to sustained strain, including relaxation and active tensioning. This tensioning, dependent on strain rate and actin remodeling, may protect cells from environmental stress.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Tissue engineering

Background:

  • Epithelial cells are constantly subjected to mechanical loads of varying magnitudes and rates.
  • Understanding cellular adaptation to mechanical stress is crucial for tissue health and disease.
  • The stress evolution in epithelial cells under sustained strain remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the stress response of epithelial cells under sustained strain.
  • To identify novel adaptation mechanisms to mechanical stress in epithelial tissues.
  • To elucidate the role of cellular contractility and actin remodeling in response to strain.

Main Methods:

  • Subjecting paired epithelial cells to controlled, sustained mechanical strain.
  • Quantifying cellular stress evolution over short timescales (100s).
  • Analyzing actin remodeling and the effect of actin perturbation on cellular stress.

Main Results:

  • Epithelial cells exhibit a bimodal stress response: stress relaxation and a dynamic tensioning process.
  • The tensioning response, characterized by increased cellular stress, is observed in a subset of cells.
  • The fraction of cells showing tensioning increases with higher strain rates.
  • Actin remodeling accompanies tensioning, and its perturbation abolishes the response, indicating a role for cell contractility.

Conclusions:

  • Epithelial cells actively adjust their tensional states in a strain-rate-dependent manner to adapt to sustained strains.
  • The observed active pulling-back behavior suggests a protective mechanism against environmental mechanical stress.
  • This study reveals a previously unrecognized dynamic adaptation strategy in epithelial cells under load.