Home / Journals / MCB / Vol.6, No.3, 2009
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    ARTICLE

    Characterization of the Chondrocyte Actin Cytoskeleton in Living Three-Dimensional Culture: Response to Anabolic and Catabolic Stimuli

    Dominik R. Haudenschild∗,†, Jianfen Chen∗,†, Nikolai Steklov, Martin K. Lotz*, Darryl D. D’Lima∗,‡
    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 135-144, 2009, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2009.006.135
    Abstract The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic network required for intracellular transport, signal transduction, movement, attachment to the extracellular matrix, cellular stiffness and cell shape. Cell shape and the actin cytoskeletal configuration are linked to chondrocyte phenotype with regard to gene expression and matrix synthesis. Historically, the chondrocyte actin cytoskeleton has been studied after formaldehyde fixation - precluding real-time measurements of actin dynamics, or in monolayer cultured cells. Here we characterize the actin cytoskeleton of living low-passage human chondrocytes grown in three-dimensional culture using a stably expressed actin-GFP construct. GFP-actin expression does not substantially alter the… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Hypertrophic Gene Expression Induced by Chronic Stretch of Excised Mouse Heart Muscle

    Anna M. Raskin∗,†, Masahiko Hoshijima, Eric Swanson, Andrew D. McCulloch*, Jeffrey H. Omens∗,†,‡
    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 145-160, 2009, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2009.006.145
    Abstract Altered mechanical stress and strain in cardiac myocytes induce modifications in gene expression that affects cardiac remodeling and myocyte contractile function. To study the mechanisms of mechanotransduction in cardiomyocytes, probing alterations in mechanics and gene expression has been an effective strategy. However, previous studies are self-limited due to the general use of isolated neonatal rodent myocytes or intact animals. The main goal of this study was to develop a novel tissue culture chamber system for mouse myocardium that facilitates loading of cardiac tissue, while measuring tissue stress and deformation within a physiological environment. Intact mouse… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Coarse-grained Modeling and Simulation of Actin Filament Behavior Based on Brownian Dynamics Method

    Yoshitaka Shimada∗,†, Taiji Adachi∗,†,‡, Yasuhiro Inoue∗,†, Masaki Hojo
    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 161-174, 2009, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2009.006.161
    Abstract The actin filament, which is the most abundant component of the cytoskeleton, plays important roles in fundamental cellular activities such as shape determination, cell motility, and mechanosensing. In each activity, the actin filament dynamically changes its structure by polymerization, depolymerization, and severing. These phenomena occur on the scales ranging from the dynamics of actin molecules to filament structural changes with its deformation due to the various forces, for example, by the membrane and solvent. To better understand the actin filament dynamics, it is important to focus on these scales and develop its mathematical model. Thus,… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Digital control circuitry of cancer cell and its apoptosis

    R. M. Ardito Marretta*, G. Barbaraci
    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 175-190, 2009, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2009.006.175
    Abstract This study, through a typical aerospace systems architecture, suggests an engineering design of a human cancer cell circuitry in which a digital optimal control matrix is assigned to repair the DNA damage level and/or to trigger its apoptosis.
    Here, the conceived machinery is proposed taking into account the state of the art in cancer investigation. However, it could be further generalized. The most recent studies on cancer pathologies give a predominant role to the oncosuppressor protein p53 and its antagonist, the oncogene Mdm2.
    Experimental and theoretical approaches are in agreement in deducing a “digital” response of… More >

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