Cellular Mechanics and Interactions

Substrate stiffness modulates phenotype-dependent fibroblast contractility and migration independent of TGF-β stimulation

This study shows that substrate stiffness affects fibroblast phenotype, contractility, and migration independently of TGF-β stimulation during wound healing.

Modelling Actin-MT Crosstalk in Migrating Cells

The paper develops a computational model of actin-microtubule crosstalk in migrating cells, showing how microtubule dynamics influence cell shape, migration direction, and responses to obstacles.

Intermittent attachments form three-dimensional cell aggregates with emergent fluid properties

This study develops a cell-based model of intermittent attachments to explain how cell aggregates exhibit fluid-like properties and collective chemotaxis.

Fibronectin Composition and Transglutaminase 2 Cross-linking Cooperatively Regulate Ovarian Cancer Cell Adhesion in ECM-Mimetic Constructs

This study shows how fibronectin composition and TG2 cross-linking affect ovarian cancer cell adhesion in ECM-like constructs.

Exploring the effect of dynamic deformation on the tight junctions of endothelial cells

This study develops a microfluidic model of atherosclerosis that mimics dynamic arterial narrowing and tests drug effects on endothelial cell junctions.

Substrate elasticity regulates cytoskeletal remodeling and mechanical behavior of U2OS osteosarcoma cells

This study shows that substrate stiffness affects U2OS osteosarcoma cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, mechanical properties, and microparticle uptake.

Nutrient availability-driven changes in extracellular matrix biochemical and mechanical properties regulate pancreatic cancer cell biology

This study shows that glutamine availability alters ECM composition and mechanics in PDAC, affecting cancer cell growth and migration through collagen I-ITGA2 signaling.

A model for boundary-driven tissue morphogenesis

The paper models boundary-driven tissue morphogenesis using the Drosophila hindgut primordium, showing that passive deformations from surrounding active regions can generate complex shapes.

Phase separation determines treadmilling-like movement ofactin bundles

This paper reconstitutes a minimal in vitro system showing phase-separated condensates enable treadmilling-like movement of actin bundles by balancing cofilin-driven disassembly.

An unbiased screening approach for identifying proteins with a mechanosensitive nuclear localization

The paper describes a screening method to identify proteins whose nuclear localization is sensitive to mechanical forces using engineered cell lines and LC-MS/MS.

Optogenetic stimulation of Lbc GEF-mediated Rho activity dynamics promotes cell invasion

This study uses optogenetics to control Lbc GEF activity in melanoma cells, showing that increased Rho activity enhances contraction dynamics, spheroid expansion, and cell escape.

Subcellular context-specific tuning of actomyosin ring contractility within a common cytoplasm

The paper investigates how actomyosin rings generate contractile force in different cellular contexts using a physical model to show that component abundance and distribution tune force magnitude while preserving conserved mechanics.

SCHEPHERD: A universal platform for high-throughput, high-resolution, and programmable control of cell behavior through bioelectric stimulation

SCHEPHERD is a universal electrobioreactor platform that enables high-throughput, high-resolution, and programmable DC bioelectric stimulation to study cell behavior and tissue dynamics.

Rapid cyclic stretching induces synthetic, proinflammatory phenotypes in cultured human intestinal smooth muscle, with the potential to alter signaling to adjacent bowel cells

Segregation, Finite Time Elastic Singularities and Coarsening in Renewable Active Matter

The paper studies stress patterning in renewable active matter, finding spontaneous segregation and coarsening dynamics in actomyosin elastomers with two myosin species.

Non-muscle Myosin II acts as a negative feedback mediator to control cell contraction dynamics

This study identifies Myosin-II as the mediator of negative feedback in cell contraction dynamics, showing its role in spatially restricting contraction signals and inhibiting Rho activity.

Adaptation of endothelial cells to microenvironment topographical cues through lysyl oxidase like-2-mediated basement membrane scaffolding

This study shows LOXL2 mediates BM assembly in response to microenvironment topography, affecting endothelial cell behavior and barrier properties.

Distinct dermal fibroblasts direct mechano-chemical signaling to the epidermis during pregnancy

The paper identifies Cdh4+ dermal fibroblasts in pregnant mice that convert mechanical signals to chemical signals to promote epidermal stem cell proliferation during skin expansion.

Differential PaxillinB dynamics at Dictyostelium cell-substrate adhesions

The paper investigates how molecular composition affects adhesion dynamics in Dictyostelium cell-substrate adhesions, showing that PaxillinB co-localization with VinculinB increases adhesion lifetime and alters PaxillinB turnover.

Alpha-actinin-1 stabilizes focal adhesions to facilitate sarcomere assembly in cardiac myocytes

This study shows ACTN1 is essential for sarcomere assembly in cardiac myocytes by stabilizing focal adhesions, distinct from ACTN2's role at Z-discs.

A key role for Canoes intrinsically disordered region in linking cell junctions to the cytoskeleton

The paper identifies conserved stickers in the Canoe IDR that bind F-actin, showing their combinatorial role in junctional localization, mechanosensing, and function during morphogenesis.

The I-BAR domain protein baiap2l1a is required for protrusion and lateral elongation of epithelial microridge structures

This study identifies baiap2l1a as a key protein required for microridge formation in zebrafish epithelia, showing its role in protrusion and lateral elongation through its I-BAR domain.

Functional redundancy and formin-independent localization of tropomyosin isoforms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This study shows that Tpm isoforms in yeast bind actin filaments independently of formin isoforms and exhibit functional redundancy in actin cable maintenance.

Mechanical context defines integrin requirement for maintaining epithelia architecture

This study identifies integrin-dependent mechanisms essential for maintaining simple epithelial architecture in Drosophila by integrating live imaging, biophysical measurements, and BM property manipulation.

A generalized theoretical framework to investigate multicomponent actin dynamics

The paper develops a generalized kinetic model to understand how multiple actin-binding proteins regulate filament length dynamics in vivo.

Microtubule-based nucleation results in a large sensitivity to cell geometry of the plant cortical array

The paper demonstrates that microtubule-based nucleation increases sensitivity to cell geometry in plant cortical arrays, leading to preferred transverse alignment in cylindrical cells.

Extracellular matrix stiffness modulates nuclear lamina organisation and sets nuclear conditions for PRC2 repression.

The paper shows ECM stiffness alters nuclear lamina composition and PRC2-mediated gene repression through changes in chromatin structure and motion.

Programmable viscoelastic hydrogels uncover mechano-sensing timescales and direct cell polarity

This study uses programmable hydrogels to reveal two mechano-sensing timescales in MDCK cells and shows how dynamic mechanical cues influence cell polarity and morphogenesis.

Apical extracellular matrix regulates fold morphogenesis in the Drosophila wing disc

This study investigates how the apical extracellular matrix (aECM) regulates fold morphogenesis in the Drosophila wing disc, showing its role in stabilizing tissue folding and shaping the adult wing.

Multiscale modeling of cell-substrate adhesion dynamics: effects of integrin activation, clustering and internalization

This study develops a multiscale model to explore how integrin activation, clustering, and internalization influence cell-substrate adhesion dynamics and migration behavior.