细胞核感知机械力调控细胞功能和命运

Cell Nuclei Sense Mechanical Forces to Regulate Cell Function and Fate

感知和响应外界环境是生命活动的关键要素之一。组成机体的细胞也无时无刻不在感知周围微环境并对其响应。在胚胎发育、器官成熟、组织再生修复、肿瘤发生发展等过程中,力学微环境无处不在,不同类型的生物力学刺激决定不同的细胞功能和命运。细胞如何感知这些机械力信号并引起细胞响应是生命科学中的关键科学问题之一。细胞核作为一种新型力学感受器,在响应生物力学刺激以及调控细胞功能和命运等方面发挥着至关重要的作用,而探究细胞核如何响应力学微环境,发展能够精准重构力学微环境的新技术新方法必不可少。该文总结了目前体外仿生力学微环境重构的方法,重点阐述了细胞核各个组分如何感知和响应微环境中的机械力信号,调控细胞行为及命运,为更加全面揭示细胞核力学感知和响应功能提供参考。

Perceiving and responding to the external environment is one of the key elements of life activities.Cells that compose the body sense and react to the surrounding microenvironment continually.In various biological processes,cells are exposed to mechanical microenvironments that can impact cell functions and fates through exerting biomechanical stimulation in different ways.How cells sense and respond to these mechanical force signals is one of the key questions in life sciences.As a new type of mechanoreceptor,the nucleus is critical in determining cell fate and function in response to various signals and stimuli.Precise methods to reconstruct the mechanical microenvironment are crucial for investigating the nuclear response to mechanical cues.This review presents an overview of the currently available methods for reconstructing biomimetic mechanical microenvironments,and focuses on how each component of the nucleus senses and responds to mechanical force signals in the microenvironments to regulate cell behavior and fate,aiming to provide a reference for a more comprehensive understanding of nuclear mechanical sensing and response functions.