Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.1
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment
ijms-logo
Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2021) | Viewed by 16291

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christophe Deroanne

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Connective Tissues Biology, GIGA-Research, University of Liège, Belgium
Interests: RhoGTPases; intracellular signaling; extracellular matrix; integrins; cancer; lipid metabolism; intracellular signaling pathways allowing cells to perceive and adapt to the composition, structure, and rigidity of the ECM, with a specific focus on the dynamic remodeling of the cell cytoskeleton and on the regulations operated by RhoGTPases and their interacting partners; regulation of cancer cell metabolism by RhoGTPases and by the tumor microenvironment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In vivo, cells are embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM) a specialized and dynamic 3D network composed of a multitude of fibrous and non-fibrous proteins. The various components of ECM form complex networks that communicate with cells via transmembrane receptors, notably those of the integrin family. The ECM provides biochemical and mechanical signals regulating key features of cells like proliferation, migration, differentiation, apoptosis or metabolism; conversely, cells can modulate ECM structure and composition. Alterations of this reciprocal interplay are observed in various diseases notably cancer thus impairing tissue homeostasis. 

In this special issue, we welcome the submission of manuscripts investigating original mechanisms responsible for the (dys)regulations of cell-ECM crosstalk in various pathophysiological contexts including cancer. We are especially, but not exclusively, interested in manuscripts describing how ECM structure and/or composition are altered and how cells sense and respond to altered ECM.  Manuscripts dealing with cell-ECM mechanobiology, ECM-modifying enzymes or describing new therapeutic strategies aiming at modifying ECM structure and composition as well as review papers are warmly welcome.

Dr. Christophe Deroanne
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Extracellular matrix
  • Collagens
  • Proteoglycans
  • Integrins
  • Discoidin domain receptors
  • Mechanobiology
  • Intracellular signaling
  • RhoGTPases
  • Fibrosis
  • Cancer

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 1071 KiB  
Article
Baseline Stiffness Modulates the Non-Linear Response to Stretch of the Extracellular Matrix in Pulmonary Fibrosis
by Constança Júnior, Maria Narciso, Esther Marhuenda, Isaac Almendros, Ramon Farré, Daniel Navajas, Jorge Otero and Núria Gavara
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 12928; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312928 - 29 Nov 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3255
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive disease that disrupts the mechanical homeostasis of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM). These effects are particularly relevant in the lung context, given the dynamic nature of cyclic stretch that the ECM is continuously subjected to during breathing. [...] Read more.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive disease that disrupts the mechanical homeostasis of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM). These effects are particularly relevant in the lung context, given the dynamic nature of cyclic stretch that the ECM is continuously subjected to during breathing. This work uses an in vivo model of pulmonary fibrosis to characterize the macro- and micromechanical properties of lung ECM subjected to stretch. To that aim, we have compared the micromechanical properties of fibrotic ECM in baseline and under stretch conditions, using a novel combination of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and a stretchable membrane-based chip. At the macroscale, fibrotic ECM displayed strain-hardening, with a stiffness one order of magnitude higher than its healthy counterpart. Conversely, at the microscale, we found a switch in the stretch-induced mechanical behaviour of the lung ECM from strain-hardening at physiological ECM stiffnesses to strain-softening at fibrotic ECM stiffnesses. Similarly, we observed solidification of healthy ECM versus fluidization of fibrotic ECM in response to stretch. Our results suggest that the mechanical behaviour of fibrotic ECM under stretch involves a potential built-in mechanotransduction mechanism that may slow down the progression of PF by steering resident fibroblasts away from a pro-fibrotic profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2380 KiB  
Article
Cell Shape and Matrix Stiffness Impact Schwann Cell Plasticity via YAP/TAZ and Rho GTPases
by Zhenyuan Xu, Jacob A. Orkwis and Greg M. Harris
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(9), 4821; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094821 - 1 May 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4003
Abstract
Schwann cells (SCs) are a highly plastic cell type capable of undergoing phenotypic changes following injury or disease. SCs are able to upregulate genes associated with nerve regeneration and ultimately achieve functional recovery. During the regeneration process, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell [...] Read more.
Schwann cells (SCs) are a highly plastic cell type capable of undergoing phenotypic changes following injury or disease. SCs are able to upregulate genes associated with nerve regeneration and ultimately achieve functional recovery. During the regeneration process, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell morphology play a cooperative, critical role in regulating SCs, and therefore highly impact nerve regeneration outcomes. However, the roles of the ECM and mechanotransduction relating to SC phenotype are largely unknown. Here, we describe the role that matrix stiffness and cell morphology play in SC phenotype specification via known mechanotransducers YAP/TAZ and RhoA. Using engineered microenvironments to precisely control ECM stiffness, cell shape, and cell spreading, we show that ECM stiffness and SC spreading downregulated SC regenerative associated proteins by the activation of RhoA and YAP/TAZ. Additionally, cell elongation promoted a distinct SC regenerative capacity by the upregulation of Rac1/MKK7/JNK, both necessary for the ECM and morphology changes found during nerve regeneration. These results confirm the role of ECM signaling in peripheral nerve regeneration as well as provide insight to the design of future biomaterials and cellular therapies for peripheral nerve regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 3033 KiB  
Review
The Dual Function of RhoGDI2 in Immunity and Cancer
by Mudrika Tripathi, Alain Colige and Christophe F. Deroanne
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 4015; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24044015 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1908
Abstract
RhoGDI2 is a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) specific for the Rho family of small GTPases. It is highly expressed in hematopoietic cells but is also present in a large array of other cell types. RhoGDI2 has been implicated in multiple human cancers [...] Read more.
RhoGDI2 is a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) specific for the Rho family of small GTPases. It is highly expressed in hematopoietic cells but is also present in a large array of other cell types. RhoGDI2 has been implicated in multiple human cancers and immunity regulation, where it can display a dual role. Despite its involvement in various biological processes, we still do not have a clear understanding of its mechanistic functions. This review sheds a light on the dual opposite role of RhoGDI2 in cancer, highlights its underappreciated role in immunity and proposes ways to explain its intricate regulatory functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1711 KiB  
Review
The Spatiotemporal Coupling: Regional Energy Failure and Aberrant Proteins in Neurodegenerative Diseases
by Assunta Virtuoso, Anna Maria Colangelo, Nicola Maggio, Uri Fennig, Nitai Weinberg, Michele Papa and Ciro De Luca
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(21), 11304; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111304 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2722
Abstract
The spatial and temporal coordination of each element is a pivotal characteristic of systems, and the central nervous system (CNS) is not an exception. Glial elements and the vascular interface have been considered more recently, together with the extracellular matrix and the immune [...] Read more.
The spatial and temporal coordination of each element is a pivotal characteristic of systems, and the central nervous system (CNS) is not an exception. Glial elements and the vascular interface have been considered more recently, together with the extracellular matrix and the immune system. However, the knowledge of the single-element configuration is not sufficient to predict physiological or pathological long-lasting changes. Ionic currents, complex molecular cascades, genomic rearrangement, and the regional energy demand can be different even in neighboring cells of the same phenotype, and their differential expression could explain the region-specific progression of the most studied neurodegenerative diseases. We here reviewed the main nodes and edges of the system, which could be studied to develop a comprehensive knowledge of CNS plasticity from the neurovascular unit to the synaptic cleft. The future goal is to redefine the modeling of synaptic plasticity and achieve a better understanding of neurological diseases, pointing out cellular, subcellular, and molecular components that couple in specific neuroanatomical and functional regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2184 KiB  
Review
Plasma Membrane Receptors Involved in the Binding and Response of Osteoclasts to Noncellular Components of the Bone
by Divakar S. Karanth, Macey L. Martin and Lexie S. Holliday
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(18), 10097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221810097 - 18 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3542
Abstract
Osteoclasts differentiate from hematopoietic cells and resorb the bone in response to various signals, some of which are received directly from noncellular elements of the bone. In vitro, adherence to the bone triggers the reduction of cell–cell fusion events between osteoclasts and the [...] Read more.
Osteoclasts differentiate from hematopoietic cells and resorb the bone in response to various signals, some of which are received directly from noncellular elements of the bone. In vitro, adherence to the bone triggers the reduction of cell–cell fusion events between osteoclasts and the activation of osteoclasts to form unusual dynamic cytoskeletal and membrane structures that are required for degrading the bone. Integrins on the surface of osteoclasts are known to receive regulatory signals from the bone matrix. Regulation of the availability of these signals is accomplished by enzymatic alterations of the bone matrix by protease activity and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events. Other membrane receptors are present in osteoclasts and may interact with as yet unidentified signals in the bone. Bone mineral has been shown to have regulatory effects on osteoclasts, and osteoclast activity is also directly modulated by mechanical stress. As understanding of how osteoclasts and other bone cells interact with the bone has emerged, increasingly sophisticated efforts have been made to create bone biomimetics that reproduce both the structural properties of the bone and the bone’s ability to regulate osteoclasts and other bone cells. A more complete understanding of the interactions between osteoclasts and the bone may lead to new strategies for the treatment of bone diseases and the production of bone biomimetics to repair defects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical and Biochemical Interplay between Cells and Their Microenvironment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop