The Effect of Substrate Stiffness on Elastic Force Transmission in the Epithelial Monolayers over Short Timescales.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The importance of mechanical forces and microenvironment in guiding cellular behavior has been widely accepted. Together with the extracellular matrix (ECM), epithelial cells form a highly connected mechanical system subjected to various mechanical cues from their environment, such as ECM stiffness, and tensile and compressive forces. ECM stiffness has been linked to many pathologies, including tumor formation. However, our understanding of the effect of ECM stiffness and its heterogeneities on rapid force transduction in multicellular systems has not been fully addressed.

Methods

We used experimental and computational methods. Epithelial cells were cultured on elastic hydrogels with fluorescent nanoparticles. Single cells were moved by a micromanipulator, and epithe

SUBMITTER: Tervonen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10716100 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature