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N-cadherin adhesive interactions modulate matrix mechanosensing and fate commitment of mesenchymal stem cells

Nature Materials volume 15, pages 1297–1306 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

During mesenchymal development, the microenvironment gradually transitions from one that is rich in cell–cell interactions to one that is dominated by cell–ECM (extracellular matrix) interactions. Because these cues cannot readily be decoupled in vitro or in vivo, how they converge to regulate mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) mechanosensing is not fully understood. Here, we show that a hyaluronic acid hydrogel system enables, across a physiological range of ECM stiffness, the independent co-presentation of the HAVDI adhesive motif from the EC1 domain of N-cadherin and the RGD adhesive motif from fibronectin. Decoupled presentation of these cues revealed that HAVDI ligation (at constant RGD ligation) reduced the contractile state and thereby nuclear YAP/TAZ localization in MSCs, resulting in altered interpretation of ECM stiffness and subsequent changes in downstream cell proliferation and differentiation. Our findings reveal that, in an evolving developmental context, HAVDI/N-cadherin interactions can alter stem cell perception of the stiffening extracellular microenvironment.

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Figure 1: Decoupled presentation of N-cadherin and fibronectin adhesive domains to study ECM mechanosensing.
Figure 2: HAVDI ligation reduces the mechanical threshold for YAP/TAZ signalling, altering MSC interpretation of substrate stiffness.
Figure 3: HAVDI/RGD co-presentation attenuates the generation of contractile force.
Figure 4: HAVDI ligation alters ECM mechanosensing at intermediate substrate stiffness through Rac1 and myosin IIA control of focal adhesion maturation.
Figure 5: A summary of how HAVDI (from N-cadherin) ligation can alter MSC mechanosensing of ECM stiffness cues.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank C. McLeod for assistance with atomic force microscopy and curve fitting, C. Rodell for helpful discussions regarding MeHA synthesis and peptide conjugation, and M. Guvendiren for assistance with preliminary studies. This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01 EB008722, R01 HL115553) and the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders (P30 AR050950).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

    Brian D. Cosgrove, Tristan P. Driscoll, Kush D. Mehta & Robert L. Mauck

  2. Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

    Brian D. Cosgrove, Tristan P. Driscoll, Steven R. Caliari, Kush D. Mehta, Jason A. Burdick & Robert L. Mauck

  3. Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

    Brian D. Cosgrove, Tristan P. Driscoll & Robert L. Mauck

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

    Keeley L. Mui & Richard K. Assoian

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Contributions

B.D.C., K.L.M., R.K.A., J.A.B. and R.L.M. designed the studies. B.D.C., K.L.M., S.R.C. and K.D.M. performed the experiments. B.D.C., K.L.M., T.P.D., R.K.A., S.R.C., J.A.B. and R.L.M. analysed and interpreted the data. B.D.C., J.A.B. and R.L.M. drafted the manuscript, and all authors edited the final submission.

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Correspondence to Robert L. Mauck.

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Cosgrove, B., Mui, K., Driscoll, T. et al. N-cadherin adhesive interactions modulate matrix mechanosensing and fate commitment of mesenchymal stem cells. Nature Mater 15, 1297–1306 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4725

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