Authors:

Matthew Boyd

Date Created:

Not specified

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About Paper:

In several physiological processes, such as tumor cell growth, cell division occurs within an extracellular matrix. The success of mitosis relies on whether cells can overcome the physical restriction from the extracellular matrix. Although previous studies have shown that cells secure a space for their division by generating mechanical forces, the responsive behaviors of the extracellular matrix during cell division are largely unknown. In this study, we sought to define how the extracellular matrix deforms in response to mitotic cellular forces to better understand mitosis in confining microenvironments. We employed a computational model to investigate the division of a single cell occurring within an extracellular matrix consisting of discrete fibers cross-linked to each other. The cell is simplified into a membrane structure subjected to two types of forces generated by the cytokinetic ring and mitotic spindle. It is assumed that cross-linking points between fibers can break in a force-dependent manner, which varies the connectivity of the matrix over time. We observed that the connectivity of the extracellular matrix affects the success of mechanically-confined mitosis through tensile force relaxation, which primarily occurs in proximity to the cell membrane. Additionally, we established how the connectivity varies the distribution of tension along both the elongation and division axes, as well as the physical work done by the cell. Our results reveal fundamental characteristics of a confining extracellular matrix, providing insights into understanding how single cells can divide in the presence of a constraining environment.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Matthew Boyd