The exchange of mechanical signals between mammalian cells and their extracellular matrix microenvironments is a focus of keen interest for biologists in the diverse fields of development, vascular disease, tissue engineering, and oncology. The molecular machinery of cellular mechanical signal response includes at least three major components: transmembrane adhesion receptors for extracellular ...

AIM To assess and compare the changes in shape of encapsulated biconvex structures undergoing equatorial traction with those changes reported in the human lens during accommodation. METHODS Equatorial traction was applied to several different biconvex structures: air, water, and gel filled mylar and rubber balloons and spherical vesicles. In the vesicles, traction was applied externally, usin...

Filopodia are active tubular structures protruding from the cell surface which allow the cell to sense and interact with the surrounding environment through repetitive elongation-retraction cycles. The mechanical behavior of filopodia has been studied by measuring the traction forces exerted on external substrates.(1) These studies have revealed that internal actin flow can transduce a force ac...

Modern concepts of electrified drive trains for off-road vehicles allow for some new possibilities for control strategies. When considering traction efficiency, the most controllable factor is wheel-slippage. Many existing slip control systems use a certain threshold value of slip as reference, for example for farm tractors, electrohydraulic hitch control system (EHC) controls the implement, wh...

Recent studies show that talin2 has a higher affinity to β-integrin tails and is indispensable for traction force generation and cell invasion. However, its roles in cell migration, cancer cell metastasis and tumorigenesis remain to be determined. Here, we used MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells as a model to define the roles of talin2 in cell migration, invasion, metastasis and tumorigenesis...

Callus distraction using bone segment transport systems is an applied process in the treatment of bone defects. However, complications such as muscle contractures, axial deviation and pin track infections occur in the treatment process using the currently available devices. Since successful treatment is influenced by the applied distraction force, knowledge of the biomechanical properties of th...

Integrin adhesion receptors connect the extracellular matrix (ECM) to the cytoskeleton and serve as bidirectional mechanotransducers. During development, angiogenesis, wound healing and cancer progression, the relative abundance of fibronectin receptors, including integrins α5β1 and αvβ3, changes, thus altering the integrin composition of cell-matrix adhesions. Here, we show that enhanced αvβ3 ...

Traction force against the substrate is required for neuronal migration, but how it is generated and regulated remains controversial. Using traction force microscopy, we showed in cultured granule cells the coexistence of three distinct contraction centers (CCs) that are located at the distal and proximal regions of the leading process as well as at the trailing process, regions exhibiting high...

Mechanical forces are key regulators of cell and tissue physiology. The basic molecular mechanism of fiber contraction by the sliding of actin filament upon myosin leading to conformational change has been known for decades. The regulation of force generation at the level of the cell, however, is still far from elucidated. Indeed, the magnitude of cell traction forces on the underlying extracel...