Stress extracellular matrix

Stress fibers are parallel bundles of actin filaments that develop in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts from the cortical actin network in response to mechanical tension. These often bind to the plasma membrane at focal contacts and, through transmembrane linker glycoproteins, to the extracellular matrix. Thus, actin filaments of stress fibers indirectly Join to the inner face of the plasma membrane through molecular assemblies of attachment proteins, which include an actin-capping protein, a-actinin, vinculin, and talin (Small, 1988). 

It has been demonstrated in other cell types that lutein can inhibit expression of MMPs and/ or activity (Philips et al., 2007). For example, in dermal fibroblasts lutein inhibits expression of MMP-1 and decreases levels of MMP-2 protein (Philips et al., 2007). In melanoma cells, lutein inhibits MMP-1 expression while stimulating TIMP-2 (Philips et al., 2007). Moreover it has been shown that lutein inhibits elastin expression in fibroblasts subjected to oxidative stress by exposure to ultraviolet light (Philips et al., 2007). These results clearly indicate that lutein can play an important role in remodeling of the extracellular matrix. 

Vardi A, Formiggini F, Casotti R, De Martino A, Ribalet F, Miralto A, Bowler C (2006) A stress surveillance system based on calcium and nitric oxide in marine diatoms. PLoS Biol 4 411 119 Vorwerk S, Somerville S, Somerville C (2004) The role of plant cell wall polysaccharide composition in disease resistance. Trends Plant Sci 9 203-209 Vreeland V, Laetsch WM (1990) A gelling carbohydrate in algal cell wall formation. In Adair WS, Mecham RP (eds) Organization and assembly of plant and animal extracellular matrix. Academic, San Diego, CA, ppl 37—171... 

Mechanosensing is postulated to involve many different cellular and extracellular components. Mechanical forces cause direct stretching of protein-cell surface integrin binding sites that occur on all eukaryotic cells. Stress-induced conformational changes in the extracellular matrix may alter integrin structure and lead to activation of several secondary messenger pathways within the cell. Activation of these pathways leads to altered reg-... 

Chiquet M, Matthison M, Koch M, Tannheimer M, Chiquet-Ehrismann R. Regulation of extracellular matrix synthesis by mechanical stress. Biochem Cell Biol. 1996 74 737-744. 

Fujisawa T, Hattori T, Takahashi K, Kuboki T, Yamashita A, Takigawa, M. Cyclic mechanical stress induces extracellular matrix degradation in cultured chondrocytes via gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases and interleukin-1. J Biochem (Tokyo). 1999 125 966-975. 

---