Abstract
The cell nucleus plays a critical role in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction processes, by adaptive changes of its envelope composition to external biophysical stimuli such as substrate rigidity and tensile forces. Current measurement approaches lack precise control in stress application on nuclei, thus significantly impairing a complete mechanobiological study of cells. Here, we present a contactless microfluidic approach capable to exert a wide range of viscoelastic compression forces (10–103 µN)—as an alternative to adhesion-related techniques—to induce cell-specific mechano-structural and biomolecular changes. We succeed in monitoring substantial nuclear modifications in Lamin A/C expression and coverage, diffusion processes of probing molecules, YAP shuttling, chromatin re-organization and cGAS pathway activation. As a result, high compression forces lead to a nuclear reinforcement (e.g. up to +20% in Lamin A/C coverage) or deconstruction (e.g. down to −45% in Lamin A/C coverage with a 30% reduction of chromatin condensation state parameter) up to cell death. We demonstrate how wide-range compression on suspended cells can be used as a tool to investigate nuclear mechanobiology and to define specific nuclear signatures for cell mechanical phenotyping.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.