ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2012
Long-range mechanical force enables self-assembly of epithelial tubular patterns.
Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed.
- Traction force transmission via bioactive matrix hydrogel promotes epithelial collective migration mediated by integrin.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Spontaneous Crimping of Gelatin Methacryloyl Nanofibrils Induced by Limited Hydration.ACS biomaterials science & engineering · 2025Article
- The underlying difference of metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer cells in configuring type I collagen fibres to promote migration by cell mechanics.Mechanobiology in medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Breaking the symmetry of cell contractility drives tubulogenesis via CXCL1 polarization.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- Extracellular Matrix Cues Regulate Mechanosensing and Mechanotransduction of Cancer Cells.Cells · 2024Review
- Inference of long-range cell-cell force transmission from ECM remodeling fluctuations.Communications biology · 2023Article
- Cell Mechanics Regulates the Dynamic Anisotropic Remodeling of Fibril Matrix at Large Scale.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2023Article
- Self-Sustained Regulation or Self-Perpetuating Dysregulation: ROS-dependent HIF-YAP-Notch Signaling as a Double-Edged Sword on Stem Cell Physiology and Tumorigenesis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Review
- Mechanical communication-associated cell directional migration and branching connections mediated by calcium channels, integrin β1, and N-cadherin.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Article
- Transient mechanical interactions between cells and viscoelastic extracellular matrix.Soft matter · 2021Article
- Matrix Composition Modulates Vitamin D3's Effects on 3D Collagen Fiber Organization by MCF10A Cells.Tissue engineering. Part A · 2021Article
- Plant cell adhesion and growth on artificial fibrous scaffolds as an in vitro model for plant development.Science advances · 2021Article
- Collagen polarization promotes epithelial elongation by stimulating locoregional cell proliferation.eLife · 2021Article
- Matrix Stiffness Modulates Mechanical Interactions and Promotes Contact between Motile Cells.Biomedicines · 2021Article
- Cell-extracellular matrix interactions in the fluidic phase direct the topology and polarity of self-organized epithelial structures.Cell proliferation · 2021Article
- Long-range mechanical signaling in biological systems.Soft matter · 2021Review
- Tumour Initiation: a Discussion on Evidence for a "Load-Trigger" Mechanism.Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2019Review
- Vitamin D3 constrains estrogen's effects and influences mammary epithelial organization in 3D cultures.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Dynamic fibroblast contractions attract remote macrophages in fibrillar collagen matrix.Nature communications · 2019Article
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6 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Enabling long-range transport of molecules, tubules are critical for human body homeostasis. One fundamental question in tubule formation is how individual cells coordinate their positioning over long spatial scales, which can be as long as the sizes of tubular organs. Recent studies indicate that type I collagen (COL) is important in the development of epithelial tubules. Nevertheless, how cell-COL interactions contribute to the initiation or the maintenance of long-scale tubular patterns is unclear. Using a two-step process to quantitatively control cell-COL interaction, we show that epithelial cells developed various patterns in response to fine-tuned percentages of COL in ECM. In contrast with conventional thoughts, these patterns were initiated and maintained by traction forces created by cells but not diffusive factors secreted by cells. In particular, COL-dependent transmission of force in the ECM led to long-scale (up to 600 μm) interactions between cells. A mechanical feedback effect was encountered when cells used forces to modify cell positioning and COL distribution and orientations. Such feedback led to a bistability in the formation of linear, tubule-like patterns. Using micro-patterning technique, we further show that the stability of tubule-like patterns depended on the lengths of tubules. Our results suggest a mechanical mechanism that cells can use to initiate and maintain long-scale tubular patterns.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.