Mechanochemical transduction cellular

Fifty years ago, ECM was considered to be a passive scaffold for cells today we are aware that ECM-cellular communication occurs through mechanical force transduction that affects gene expression and ECM synthesis and that mechanochemical transduction is a key element in modern human physiology and molecular biology. 

We have presented information on the elastic and viscous stress-strain behaviors for a variety of different ECMs in preparation for relating changes in external loading and mechanochemical transduction processes. In order to determine the exact external loading in each tissue that stimulates mechanochemical transduction processes we must take into account the balance between passive loading incorporated into the collagen network in the tissue and active loading applied externally. Inasmuch as the passive load is different for each tissue and is also a function of age (the tension in tissues decreases with age), the net load experienced at the cellular level is difficult to calculate. 

DNA synthesis. Mechanochemical transduction in VSMCs is dependent on intact actin filaments. Stretch responses involve Rho activation and Rho/pl60ROCK and mediate stretch-induced ERK activation and cellular vascular hyperplasia in VSMCs. 

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...

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