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JA. Herzog^∗, TR. Leonard^†, A. Jinha^†, W. Herzog^†,‡
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 1-17, 2014, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2014.011.001
Abstract Titin is the third most abundant protein in sarcomeres and fulfills a number of mechanical and signaling functions. Specifically, titin is responsible for most of the passive forces in sarcomeres and the passive visco-elastic behaviour of myofibrils and muscles. It has been suggested, based on mechanical testing of isolated titin molecules, that titin is an essentially elastic spring if Ig domain un/refolding is prevented either by working at short titin lengths, prior to any unfolding of Ig domains, or at long sarcomere (and titin) lengths when Ig domain un/refolding is effectively prevented. However, these properties… More >

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Norizadeh Abbariki Tannaz^*,†, Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali^†,‡, Haghighipour Nooshin^*,§, Aghdami Nasser^¶, Mahdian Rezak^II, Amanzadeh Amir^*, Jazayeri Maryam^*,†
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 19-37, 2014, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2014.011.019
Abstract Background: Environmental factors affect stem cell differentiation. In addition to chemical factors, mechanical signals have been suggested to enhance myogenic differentiation of stem cells. Therefore, this study was undertaken to illustrate and compare the effect of chemical and mechanical stimuli on Myogenin (MyoG) and Myosin heavy chani 2 (Myh2) expression of mouse bone marrowderived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Methods: After isolation and expansion of BMSCs and generation of embryoid bodies and spontaneous differentiation of ESCs, cells were examined in 4 groups: (1) control group: untreated cells; (2) chemical group: cells… More >

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Hassan P. Modarres^∗, Mohammad R. K. Mofrad^†
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 39-65, 2014, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2014.011.039
Abstract Focal adhesions are the immediate sites of the cell’s adhesive interaction with the extracellular matrix and as such play a key role in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction at the edge of the cell interface with its surrounding microenvironment. A multitude of proteins orchestrate this mechanochemical communication process between the cell and its outside world. Filamin is a member of focal adhesion protein machinery that also plays a key role in regulating and bundling the acting filament network. A brief review is presented here on filamin and its important protein partners with the aim to shed light More >

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L. L. Xiao^∗, S. Chen^∗,†, C. S. Lin^∗, Y. Liu^‡
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 67-85, 2014, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2014.011.067
Abstract The motion and deformation of a single red blood cell flowing through a microvessel stenosis was investigated employing dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. The numerical model considers plasma, cytoplasm, the RBC membrane and the microvessel walls, in which a three dimensional coarse-grained spring network model of RBC’s membrane was used to simulate the deformation of the RBC. The suspending plasma was modelled as an incompressible Newtonian fluid and the vessel walls were regarded as rigid body. The body force exerted on the free DPD particles was used to drive the flow. A modified bounce-back boundary… More >

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