Yuhsuan Wang^1,2, Yuwei Guo^1,2, Lisha Zheng^1,2,*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, Suppl.2, pp. 99-99, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06995

Abstract Many studies have shown that cell shape effects cell chromatin aggregation, gene expression, protein synthesis, cell growth, apoptosis, and cytoskeletal rearrangement [1, 2]. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are capable of osteogenic, dentinogenic, chondrogenic, and neurogenic differentiation. They are regarded as a promising candidate for tissue regeneration. How the cell shape regulates their cell behavior is still unknown. We used micropatterning technology to design single cell patterns in a 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:16 length-width ratio of rectangles with the same area. The results indicated that cell shape rearranged the cytoskeleton of DPSCs. The nuclear shape also affected by different… More >

A.L. Brock, D.E. Ingber¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 135-144, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.135

Abstract The direction in which cells extend new motile processes, such as lamellipodia and filopodia, can be controlled by altering the geometry of extracellular matrix adhesive islands on which individual cells are cultured, thereby altering mechanical interactions between cells and the adhesive substrate [Parker (2002)]. Here we specifically investigate the intracellular molecular signals that mediate the mechanism by which cells selectively extend these processes from the corners of polygonal-shaped adhesive islands. Constitutive activation of the small GTPase Rac within cells cultured on square-shaped islands of fibronectin resulted in the elimination of preferential extension from corners. This loss of directionality was accompanied… More >