Mechanosensitive mechanisms in transcriptional regulation. J Cell Sci 2012 Jul 01;125(Pt 13):3061-73
Date
07/17/2012Pubmed ID
22797927Pubmed Central ID
PMC3434847DOI
10.1242/jcs.093005Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84868111953 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 364 CitationsAbstract
Transcriptional regulation contributes to the maintenance of pluripotency, self-renewal and differentiation in embryonic cells and in stem cells. Therefore, control of gene expression at the level of transcription is crucial for embryonic development, as well as for organogenesis, functional adaptation, and regeneration in adult tissues and organs. In the past, most work has focused on how transcriptional regulation results from the complex interplay between chemical cues, adhesion signals, transcription factors and their co-regulators during development. However, chemical signaling alone is not sufficient to explain how three-dimensional (3D) tissues and organs are constructed and maintained through the spatiotemporal control of transcriptional activities. Accumulated evidence indicates that mechanical cues, which include physical forces (e.g. tension, compression or shear stress), alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics and changes in cell shape, are transmitted to the nucleus directly or indirectly to orchestrate transcriptional activities that are crucial for embryogenesis and organogenesis. In this Commentary, we review how the mechanical control of gene transcription contributes to the maintenance of pluripotency, determination of cell fate, pattern formation and organogenesis, as well as how it is involved in the control of cell and tissue function throughout embryogenesis and adult life. A deeper understanding of these mechanosensitive transcriptional control mechanisms should lead to new approaches to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Author List
Mammoto A, Mammoto T, Ingber DEAuthors
Akiko Mammoto MD, PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinTadanori Mammoto MD, PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsBiomechanical Phenomena
Body Patterning
Cell Adhesion Molecules
Cell Shape
Embryonic Development
Endothelial Cells
Extracellular Matrix
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Humans
Mechanotransduction, Cellular
Organogenesis
Stress, Mechanical
Transcription Factors
Transcription, Genetic
