CELL SHAPE DICTATES DIFFERENTIAL SENSITIVITY OF SUBCELLULAR CONTRACTILE FORCES IN RESPONSE TO DIRECTIONAL SUBSTRATE STRETCH

摘要

In past decades, it has been well demonstrated that cellular contractile forces against the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in regulating cellular behaviors such as spreading, adhesion and differentiation. Recent studies have found that focal adhesions (FAs) and subcellular contractile forces mediated by FAs have an intimate connection and form an important feedback loop to control cellular mechanotransduction in response to mechanical cues such as matrix rigidity, cell geometry and external forces. Therefore, understanding how FA-mediated contractile forces are regulated by those factors is critical for our understanding of cellular mechanotransduction and mechano-responsiveness.