Mechanotransduction: the role of mechanical stress, myocyte shape, and cytoskeletal architecture on cardiac function

Abstract

Mechanotransduction refers to the conversion of mechanical forces into biochemical or electrical signals that initiate structural and functional remodeling in cells and tissues. The heart is a kinetic organ whose form changes considerably during development and disease, requiring cardiac myocytes to be mechanically durable and capable of fusing a variety of environmental signals on different time scales. During physiological growth, myocytes adaptively remodel to mechanical loads. Pathological stimuli can induce maladaptive remodeling. In both of these conditions, the cytoskeleton plays a pivotal role in both sensing mechanical stress and mediating structural remodeling and functional responses within the myocyte.

RNA-sequencing analysis reveals new alterations in cardiomyocyte cytoskeletal genes in patients with heart failure

“…Among the differentially expressed genes, some were previously associated with HF, such as ACTA1, VCL, NEB, and MYH6. 21,22 Furthermore, the RNA-Seq results were consistent with data from previous studies. It is well described that the upregulation of collagen genes has been associated with the fibrosis process 27 and the increased expression of membrane-associated proteins, such as VLC, 9 has an adaptive response to cellular integrity loss.…”

Surface Chemistry and Microtopography of Parylene C Films Control the Morphology and Microtubule Density of Cardiac Myocytes

“…32 Finally, the degree of adhesion of cells on the substrate can differentially regulate mechanosensitive responses to cell contraction with consequent cytoskeletal rearrangement. 33 All these possibilities will be investigated in future experiments involving cell-cell interactions and measurements of contractility together with further assessment of signalling pathways involved in intercellular signalling.…”

Engineering Cardiac Cell JunctionsIn Vitroto Study the Intercalated Disc

“…A quantum step in terms of spatial resolution in tissue and cell engineering was made by the introduction of soft-microlithography (Singhvi et al, 1994). This technique, which enables the engineering of single cells and multicellular preparations with micrometer resolution on defi ned extracellular substrates, was applied to myocardial tissue and cells by Parker et al (Feinberg et al, 2007;Bray et al, 2008;Geisse et al, 2009;McCain & Parker, 2011) to determine shape and arrangement of contractile proteins and the dependence of contractile force generation on cell geometry (length/width ratio) and the organization of the contractile apparatus.…”