Volume 15 Issue 12, December 2014

Two studies report the design of DNA hairpins that function as optical probes of cellular traction forces, offering high spatiotemporal resolution and signal-to-noise ratio.

Increased organization of the ECM mediated by myofibroblast remodelling pre-conditions for TGFβ activation.

Robinet al. describe telomere position effect over long distances (TPE–OLD), a phenomenon in which long (but not short) telomeres control gene expression by forming chromatin loops with genes located several Mb away.

A protocol for the large-scale differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional β cells has been developed.

Karl E. Kadler describes why the mechanism of collagen fibril assemblyin vivoremains elusive.

Betzig and colleagues created ultrathin light sheets to visualize dynamic processes at high speed and high spatiotemporal resolution.

The molecules that are associated with the extracellular matrix (ECM) in different tissues, including collagens, proteoglycans, laminins and fibronectin, and the manner in which they are assembled, determine the structure and the organization of the ECM. The resultant biochemical and biophysical properties of the ECM dictate its tissue-specific functions.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates many cellular functions, and its remodelling by enzymes such as metalloproteinases has a crucial role during development, as exemplified by intestinal, lung, mammary gland and submandibular gland morphogenesis. ECM structure and composition are important therapeutic targets, as their dysregulation contributes to conditions such as fibrosis and invasive cancer.

In soft connective tissues at the steady state, cells continually read environmental cues and respond to promote mechanical homeostasis of the extracellular matrix and ensure cellular and tissue health. Progress has been made into our understanding of the molecular, cellular and tissue scale responses to mechanical load that promote mechanical homeostasis.

The physical properties of the extracellular environment — in terms of confinement, rigidity, surface topology and adhesion-ligand density — can have profound effects on the migration strategy and migration velocity of cells in differentin vivocontexts.

The form of vertebrates is shaped by the sensing and relaying of mechanical forces that are applied between cells and their microenvironment. Mechanobiology has emerged as a field of research dedicated to studying these forces and their communication through signalling processes, which are collectively known as mechanotransduction.