Mechanical forces stimulate Golgi export

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Mechanobiology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Cells encounter diverse mechanical stimuli, influencing their function and state.
• Mechanobiology studies cellular responses to mechanical forces, primarily focusing on the cell surface and nucleus.
• The adaptation of intracellular organelles to extracellular mechanical forces is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how extracellular mechanical signals affect the secretory function of the Golgi apparatus.
• To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying Golgi adaptation to mechanical forces.
• To explore the role of the Golgi apparatus in cellular mechanotransduction.

Main Methods:

• Subjecting adherent cells to various mechanical challenges: cell spreading on different ligands, altered substrate stiffness, and equibiaxial strain.
• Analyzing Golgi-to-cell surface carrier biogenesis and exocytosis.
• Measuring Golgi membrane tension and identifying molecular determinants of the mechanotransduction pathway.

Main Results:

• Extracellular mechanical signals modulate Golgi-to-cell surface carrier biogenesis, regulating exocytosis.
• Changes in Golgi membrane tension were observed.
• Key molecular determinants identified include microtubule acetylation, diacylglycerol production, and protein kinase D activity.

Conclusions:

• Extracellular mechanics tune the Golgi's secretory output, establishing a bidirectional mechanotransduction axis.
• Inhibition of Golgi export impairs cellular mechanoresponse and cell spreading.
• This work provides a framework for understanding organelle-based mechanoadaptation in physiology and disease.