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Cardiac myocyte remodeling mediated by N-cadherin-dependent mechanosensing
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Cardiac myocyte remodeling mediated by N-cadherin-dependent mechanosensing

Anant Chopra, Erdem Tabdanov, Hersh Patel, Paul A Janmey and J. Yasha Kresh
American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, v 300(4), pp H1252-H1266
Apr 2011
PMID: 21257918
url
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00515.2010View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Muscle Mechanics and Ventricular Function cell-to-cell interaction cell biomechanics myofibrillogenesis extracellular matrix
Cell-to-cell adhesions are crucial in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of cardiac cells. Little is known about the mechanosensitivity and mechanotransduction of cell-to-cell interactions. Most studies of cardiac mechanotransduction and myofibrillogenesis have focused on cell-extracellular matrix (ECM)-specific interactions. This study assesses the direct role of intercellular adhesion, specifically that of N-cadherin-mediated mechanotransduction, on the morphology and internal organization of neonatal ventricular cardiac myocytes. The results show that cadherin-mediated cell attachments are capable of eliciting a cytoskeletal network response similar to that of integrin-mediated force response and transmission, affecting myofibrillar organization, myocyte shape, and cortical stiffness. Traction forces mediated by N-cadherin were shown to be comparable to those sustained by ECM. The directional changes in predicted traction forces as a function of imposed loads (gel stiffness) provide the added evidence that N-cadherin is a mechanoresponsive adhesion receptor. Strikingly, the mechanical sensitivity response (gain) in terms of the measured cell-spread area as a function of imposed load (adhesive substrate rigidity) was consistently higher for N-cadherin-coated surfaces compared with ECM protein-coated surfaces. In addition, the cytoskeletal architecture of myocytes on an N-cadherin adhesive microenvironment was characteristically different from that on an ECM environment, suggesting that the two mechanotransductive cell adhesion systems may play both independent and complementary roles in myocyte cytoskeletal spatial organization. These results indicate that cell-to-cell-mediated force perception and transmission are involved in the organization and development of cardiac structure and function.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Physiology
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