Stress fiber anisotropy contributes to force-mode dependent chromatin stretching and gene upregulation in living cells.

ABSTRACT: Living cells and tissues experience various complex modes of forces that are important in physiology and disease. However, how different force modes impact gene expression is elusive. Here we apply local forces of different modes via a magnetic bead bound to the integrins on a cell and quantified cell stiffness, chromatin deformation, and DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) gene transcription. In-plane stresses result in lower cell stiffness than out-of-plane stresses that lead to bead rolling along the cell long axis (i.e., alignment of actin stress fibers) or at different angles (90° or 45°). However, chromatin stretching and ensuing DHFR gene upregulation by the in-plane mode are similar to those induced by the 45° stress mode. Disrupting stress fibers abolishes differences in cell stiffness

SUBMITTER: Wei F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7524734 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature