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

3.4K
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...
3.4K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

3.5K
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...
3.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Identification of the gene cluster for the dithiolopyrrolone antibiotic holomycin in Streptomyces clavuligerus.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2010
Same author

Safety evaluation of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) flower extract: assessment of mutagenicity, and acute and subchronic toxicity in rats.

Journal of ethnopharmacology·2010
Same author

Influences of soil properties and leaching on nickel toxicity to barley root elongation.

Ecotoxicology and environmental safety·2010
Same author

Effects of CO2 insufflation on cerebrum during endoscopic thyroidectomy in a porcine model.

Surgical endoscopy·2010
Same author

Plants' use of different nitrogen forms in response to crude oil contamination.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2010
Same author

Overexpression of p35 in Min6 pancreatic beta cells induces a stressed neuron-like apoptosis.

Journal of the neurological sciences·2010

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.6K

Cell Stiffness-Mediated Mechanochemical Waves in Three-Dimensional Tissues.

Pengyu Yu1,2, Rui Zhang3, Bo Li1,2

  • 1Tsinghua University, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Beijing 100084, China.

Physical Review Letters
|September 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Cell stiffness variations drive tissue mechanochemical waves. Increased stiffness enhances wave synchronization and robustness, revealing mechanics

More Related Videos

Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events
08:30

Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events

Published on: August 27, 2019

8.4K
A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology
16:46

A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology

Published on: June 3, 2014

12.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.6K
Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events
08:30

Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events

Published on: August 27, 2019

8.4K
A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology
16:46

A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology

Published on: June 3, 2014

12.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Cellular mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, are crucial in tissue development and disease.
  • Understanding how these mechanical changes influence cellular behavior and tissue dynamics is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cell stiffness and its spatial variations in generating mechanochemical waves within 3D tissues.
  • To explore the impact of mechanical feedback, specifically from extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), on tissue dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a three-dimensional (3D) active vertex model.
  • Incorporation of mechanical feedback from extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK).
  • Theoretical analysis and computational simulations of tissue behavior.

Main Results:

  • Mechanochemical instability leads to rich cell oscillations mediated by cell stiffness and heterogeneity.
  • Increased cell stiffness promotes long-range force transmission and synchronization of collective waves.
  • Waves exhibit robustness against variations in cell size and stiffness, propagating around stiff inclusions and walls.

Conclusions:

  • Cell stiffness plays a multifaceted role in self-organized mechanochemical dynamics within 3D tissues.
  • The developed model successfully reproduces experimental observations of ERK edge waves in multicellular spheroids.
  • Mechanics are fundamental drivers of complex dynamic behaviors in multicellular systems.