Introduction— In response to external stress, cells alter their morphology, metabolic activity, and functions to mechanically adapt to the dynamic, local environment through cell allostasis. To explore mechanotransduction in cellular allostasis, we applied an integrated micromechanical system that combines an ‘ultrasound tweezers’-based mechanical stressor and a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based molecular force biosensor, termed “actinin-sstFRET,” to monitor in situ single-cell allostasis in response to transient stimulation in real time.
Methods— The ultrasound tweezers utilize 1 Hz, 10-second transient ultrasound pulses to acoustically excite a lipid-encapsulated microbubble, which is bound to the cell membrane, and apply a pico- to nano-Newton range of forces to cells through an RGD-integrin linkage. The actinin-sstFRET molecular sensor, which engages the actin stress fibers in live cells, is used to map real-time actomyosin force dynamics over time. Then, the mechanosensitive behaviors were examined by profiling the dynamics in Ca2+ influx, actomyosin cytoskeleton (CSK) activity, and GTPase RhoA signaling to define a single-cell mechanical allostasis.
Results—By subjecting a 1 Hz, 10-second physical stress, single vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were observed to remodeled themselves in a biphasic mechanical allostatic manner within 30 minutes that caused them to adjust their contractility and actomyosin activities. The cellular machinery that underscores the vital role of CSK equilibrium in cellular mechanical allostasis, includes Ca2+ influx, remodeling of actomyosin CSK and contraction, and GTPase RhoA signaling. Mechanical allostasis was observed to be compromised in VSMCs from patients with type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which could potentiate an allostatic maladaptation.
Conclusions— By integrating tools that simultaneously permit localized mechanical perturbation and map actomyosin forces, we revealed distinct cellular mechanical allostasis profiles in our micromechanical system. Our findings of cell mechanical allostasis and maladaptation provide the potential for mechanophenotyping cells to reveal their pathogenic contexts and their biophysical mediators that underlie multi-etiological diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, or aging.
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Distinct mechanisms regulating mechanical force-induced Ca2+ signals at the plasma membrane and the ER in human MSCs
It is unclear that how subcellular organelles respond to external mechanical stimuli. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which mechanical force regulates Ca2+ signaling at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in human mesenchymal stem cells. Without extracellular Ca2+, ER Ca2+ release is the source of intracellular Ca2+ oscillations induced by laser-tweezer-traction at the plasma membrane, providing a model to study how mechanical stimuli can be transmitted deep inside the cell body. This ER Ca2+ release upon mechanical stimulation is mediated not only by the mechanical support of cytoskeleton and actomyosin contractility, but also by mechanosensitive Ca2+ permeable channels on the plasma membrane, specifically TRPM7. However, Ca2+ influx at the plasma membrane via mechanosensitive Ca2+ permeable channels is only mediated by the passive cytoskeletal structure but not active actomyosin contractility. Thus, active actomyosin contractility is essential for the response of ER to the external mechanical stimuli, distinct from the mechanical regulation at the plasma membrane.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10000858
- Publisher / Repository:
- eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- eLife
- Volume:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 2050-084X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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