Stem Cell Differentiation is Regulated by Extracellular Matrix Mechanics

Stem cells mechanosense the stiffness of their microenvironment, which impacts differentiation. Although tissue hydration anti-correlates with stiffness, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is clearly transduced into gene expression via adhesion and cytoskeleton proteins that tune fates. Cytoskelet...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysiology (Bethesda, Md.) Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 16 - 25
Main Authors Smith, Lucas R, Cho, Sangkyun, Discher, Dennis E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Physiological Society 01.01.2018
Subjects
Animals
Cell Adhesion
Cell Differentiation
Cytoskeleton - physiology
Extracellular Matrix - physiology
Humans
Mechanotransduction, Cellular
Review
Stem Cells - physiology
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Stem cells mechanosense the stiffness of their microenvironment, which impacts differentiation. Although tissue hydration anti-correlates with stiffness, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is clearly transduced into gene expression via adhesion and cytoskeleton proteins that tune fates. Cytoskeletal reorganization of ECM can create heterogeneity and influence fates, with fibrosis being one extreme.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
content type line 23
ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:1548-9213
1548-9221
DOI:10.1152/physiol.00026.2017