Bioactive Materials (Apr 2022)

Profiling the responsiveness of focal adhesions of human cardiomyocytes to extracellular dynamic nano-topography

  • Huaiyu Shi,
  • Xiangjun Wu,
  • Shiyang Sun,
  • Chenyan Wang,
  • Zacharias Vangelatos,
  • Ariel Ash-Shakoor,
  • Costas P. Grigoropoulos,
  • Patrick T. Mather,
  • James H. Henderson,
  • Zhen Ma

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10
pp. 367 – 377

Abstract

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Focal adhesion complexes function as the mediators of cell-extracellular matrix interactions to sense and transmit the extracellular signals. Previous studies have demonstrated that cardiomyocyte focal adhesions can be modulated by surface topographic features. However, the response of focal adhesions to dynamic surface topographic changes remains underexplored. To study this dynamic responsiveness of focal adhesions, we utilized a shape memory polymer-based substrate that can produce a flat-to-wrinkle surface transition triggered by an increase of temperature. Using this dynamic culture system, we analyzed three proteins (paxillin, vinculin and zyxin) from different layers of the focal adhesion complex in response to dynamic extracellular topographic change. Hence, we quantified the dynamic profile of cardiomyocyte focal adhesion in a time-dependent manner, which provides new understanding of dynamic cardiac mechanobiology.

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