Nucleo-cytoskeletal coupling controls intracellular deformation partitioning during cell stretching

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Mechanobiology

Background:

• Cells mechanically respond to external forces, regulating biological processes.
• The interplay between nuclear and cytoplasmic deformation under mechanical stress is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify nuclear and cytoplasmic deformation during cell stretching.
• To investigate the role of nucleo-cytoskeletal coupling in mechanical responses.
• To explore the relationship between cell morphology and intracellular mechanics.

Main Methods:

• Developed a microscopy technique to measure extensional uniaxial strains of the nucleus and cytoplasm.
• Utilized cell stretching experiments on epithelial monolayers.
• Employed multivariable analyses to correlate cell morphology with deformation.

Main Results:

• Identified an inverse relationship between nuclear and cytoplasmic deformation.
• Demonstrated that the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex mediates this anti-correlation.
• Showed that cytoplasmic deformation correlates with nuclear shrinkage, indicating a mechanotransduction pathway.
• Established that cell morphology can predict intracellular deformation.

Conclusions:

• Nucleo-cytoskeletal coupling, via the LINC complex, is crucial for partitioning intracellular deformation.
• Cytoplasmic mechanics influence nuclear responses to mechanical stress.
• Cell morphology serves as a predictive indicator of cellular mechanical behavior, advancing mechanotransduction understanding.