Extracellular matrix mechanochemical transduction

Mechanosensing is used to describe the process by which cells sense mechanical forces. Mechanochemical transduction is the phrase that is used to try to describe the biological processes by which external forces such as gravity influence the biochemical and genetic responses of cells and tissues. Specifically, these responses include stimulation of cell proliferation or apoptosis (death) and synthesis or catabolism of components of the extracellular matrix. These processes cause either increases in chemical energy (conversion of amino acids or other small molecules into macromolecules) or decreases in chemical energy (depolymerization of macromolecules). 

Ingber D, Karp S, Plopper G et al (1993) Mechanochemical transduction across extracellular matrix and through the cytoskeleton. In Frangos JA, Ives CL (eds) Physical forces and the mammalian cell. Academic, San Diego... 

Figure 9.21. Cellular mechanochemical transduction makes possible tissue restoration by elastic protein materials containing cell attachment sequences that function as temporary functional scaffoldings. The attached cells become stretched as the matrix is stretched. The forces and frequencies of the stretch/relaxation cycles provide the chemical signal to the nucleus to turn on the genes for production of an extracellular matrix sufficient to...

Silver, E.H., Siperko, L.M. Mechanosensing and mechanochemical transduction how is mechanical energy sensed and converted into chemical energy in an extracellular matrix Crit. Rev. Biomed. Eng. 31, 255-331 (2003)... 

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