Stretch-induced actomyosin contraction in epithelial tubes: Mechanotransduction pathways for tubular homeostasis

Kriti Sethi, Erin J. Cram*, Ronen Zaidel-Bar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many tissues in our body have a tubular shape and are constantly exposed to various stresses. Luminal pressure imposes tension on the epithelial and myoepithelial or smooth muscle cells surrounding the lumen of the tubes. Contractile forces generated by actomyosin assemblies within these cells oppose the luminal pressure and must be calibrated to maintain tube diameter homeostasis and tissue integrity. In this review, we discuss mechanotransduction pathways that can lead from sensation of cell stretch to activation of actomyosin contractility, providing rapid mechanochemical feedback for proper tubular tissue function.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)146-152
Number of pages7
JournalSeminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Volume71
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2017

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of General Medical SciencesR01GM110268
Ministry of EducationMOE2015-T2-1-045

    Keywords

    • Calcium
    • Contractility
    • Epithelial tubes
    • Integrin signaling
    • Mechanotransduction
    • RhoA
    • Smooth muscle
    • Stretch

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