Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin
Individual cells and cells within the tissues and organs constantly face mechanical challenges, such as tension, compression, strain, shear stress, and the rigidity of cellular and extracellular surroundings. Besides the external mechanical forces, cells and their components are also subjected to in...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Biomolecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/3/354 |
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| author | Malgorzata Kloc Jarek Wosik |
| author_facet | Malgorzata Kloc Jarek Wosik |
| author_sort | Malgorzata Kloc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individual cells and cells within the tissues and organs constantly face mechanical challenges, such as tension, compression, strain, shear stress, and the rigidity of cellular and extracellular surroundings. Besides the external mechanical forces, cells and their components are also subjected to intracellular mechanical forces, such as pulling, pushing, and stretching, created by the sophisticated force-generation machinery of the cytoskeleton and molecular motors. All these mechanical stressors switch on the mechanotransduction pathways, allowing cells and their components to respond and adapt. Mechanical force-induced changes at the cell membrane and cytoskeleton are also transmitted to the nucleus and its nucleoskeleton, affecting nucleocytoplasmic transport, chromatin conformation, transcriptional activity, replication, and genome, which, in turn, orchestrate cellular mechanical behavior. The memory of mechanoresponses is stored as epigenetic and chromatin structure modifications. The mechanical state of the cell in response to the acellular and cellular environment also determines cell identity, fate, and immune response to invading pathogens. Here, we give a short overview of the latest developments in understanding these processes, emphasizing their effects on cell nuclei, chromosomes, and chromatin. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3a760c996c0f4cac88ef3ffe3636752d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-3a760c996c0f4cac88ef3ffe3636752d2025-08-20T02:42:39ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2025-03-0115335410.3390/biom15030354Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and ChromatinMalgorzata Kloc0Jarek Wosik1Transplant Immunology, The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USAElectrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USAIndividual cells and cells within the tissues and organs constantly face mechanical challenges, such as tension, compression, strain, shear stress, and the rigidity of cellular and extracellular surroundings. Besides the external mechanical forces, cells and their components are also subjected to intracellular mechanical forces, such as pulling, pushing, and stretching, created by the sophisticated force-generation machinery of the cytoskeleton and molecular motors. All these mechanical stressors switch on the mechanotransduction pathways, allowing cells and their components to respond and adapt. Mechanical force-induced changes at the cell membrane and cytoskeleton are also transmitted to the nucleus and its nucleoskeleton, affecting nucleocytoplasmic transport, chromatin conformation, transcriptional activity, replication, and genome, which, in turn, orchestrate cellular mechanical behavior. The memory of mechanoresponses is stored as epigenetic and chromatin structure modifications. The mechanical state of the cell in response to the acellular and cellular environment also determines cell identity, fate, and immune response to invading pathogens. Here, we give a short overview of the latest developments in understanding these processes, emphasizing their effects on cell nuclei, chromosomes, and chromatin.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/3/354chromatinchromosomesnucleustranscriptionactinmicrotubules |
| spellingShingle | Malgorzata Kloc Jarek Wosik Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin Biomolecules chromatin chromosomes nucleus transcription actin microtubules |
| title | Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin |
| title_full | Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin |
| title_fullStr | Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin |
| title_short | Mechanical Forces, Nucleus, Chromosomes, and Chromatin |
| title_sort | mechanical forces nucleus chromosomes and chromatin |
| topic | chromatin chromosomes nucleus transcription actin microtubules |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/3/354 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malgorzatakloc mechanicalforcesnucleuschromosomesandchromatin AT jarekwosik mechanicalforcesnucleuschromosomesandchromatin |