scholarly journals Mechanical plasticity of collagen directs branch elongation in human mammary gland organoids

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Buchmann ◽  
L. K. Engelbrecht ◽  
P. Fernandez ◽  
F. P. Hutterer ◽  
M. K. Raich ◽  
...  

AbstractEpithelial branch elongation is a central developmental process during branching morphogenesis in diverse organs. This fundamental growth process into large arborized epithelial networks is accompanied by structural reorganization of the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), well beyond its mechanical linear response regime. Here, we report that epithelial ductal elongation within human mammary organoid branches relies on the non-linear and plastic mechanical response of the surrounding collagen. Specifically, we demonstrate that collective back-and-forth motion of cells within the branches generates tension that is strong enough to induce a plastic reorganization of the surrounding collagen network which results in the formation of mechanically stable collagen cages. Such matrix encasing in turn directs further tension generation, branch outgrowth and plastic deformation of the matrix. The identified mechanical tension equilibrium sets a framework to understand how mechanical cues can direct ductal branch elongation.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Buchmann ◽  
L.K. Meixner ◽  
P. Fernandez ◽  
F.P. Hutterer ◽  
M.K. Raich ◽  
...  

Although branching morphogenesis is central for organogenesis in diverse organs, the underlying self-organizing principles have yet to be identified. Here, we show that invasive branching morphogenesis in human mammary organoids relies on an intricate tension-driven feedback mechanism, which is based on the nonlinear and plastic mechanical response of the surrounding collagen network. Specifically, we demonstrate that collective motion of cells within organoid branches generates tension that is strong enough to induce a plastic reorganization of the surrounding collagen network which results in the formation of mechanically stable collagen cages. Such matrix encasing in turn directs further tension generation, branch outgrowth and plastic deformation of the matrix. The identified mechanical feedback-loop sets a framework to understand how mechanical cues direct organogenesis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taher Saif ◽  
Jagannathan Rajagopalan ◽  
Alireza Tofangchi

AbstractWe used high resolution micromechanical force sensors to study the in vivo mechanical response of embryonic Drosophila neurons. Our experiments show that Drosophila axons have a rest tension of a few nN and respond to mechanical forces in a manner characteristic of viscoelastic solids. In response to fast externally applied stretch they show a linear force-deformation response and when the applied stretch is held constant the force in the axons relaxes to a steady state value over time. More importantly, when the tension in the axons is suddenly reduced by releasing the external force the neurons actively restore the tension, sometimes close to their resting value. Along with the recent findings of Siechen et al (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 12611 (2009)) showing a link between mechanical tension and synaptic plasticity, our observation of active tension regulation in neurons suggest an important role for mechanical forces in the functioning of neurons in vivo.


2005 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 2381-2389 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Reich ◽  
N. Jaffe ◽  
A. Tong ◽  
I. Lavelin ◽  
O. Genina ◽  
...  

The mechanical stimuli resulting from weight loading play an important role in mature bone remodeling. However, the effect of weight loading on the developmental process in young bones is less well understood. In this work, chicks were loaded with bags weighing 10% of their body weight during their rapid growth phase. The increased load reduced the length and diameter of the long bones. The average width of the bag-loaded group's growth plates was 75 ± 4% that of the controls, and the plates showed increased mineralization. Northern blot analysis, in situ hybridization, and longitudinal cell counting of mechanically loaded growth plates showed narrowed expression zones of collagen types II and X compared with controls, with no differences between the relative proportions of those areas. An increase in osteopontin (OPN) expression with loading was most pronounced at the bone-cartilage interface. This extended expression overlapped with tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and with the front of the mineralized matrix in the chondro-osseous junction. Moreover, weight loading enhanced the penetration of blood vessels into the growth plates and enhanced the gene expression of the matrix metalloproteinases MMP9 and MMP13 in those growth plates. On the basis of these results, we speculate that the mechanical strain on the chondrocytes in the growth plate causes overexpression of OPN, MMP9, and MMP13. The MMPs enable penetration of the blood vessels, which carry osteoclasts and osteoblasts. OPN recruits the osteoclasts to the cartilage-bone border, thus accelerating cartilage resorption in this zone and subsequent ossification which, in turn, contributes to the observed phenotype of narrower growth plate and shorter bones.


Author(s):  
Gerard A. Ateshian ◽  
Vikram Rajan ◽  
Nadeen O. Chahine ◽  
Clare Canal Guterl ◽  
Clark T. Hung

A number of theoretical frameworks embodying the disparity between tensile and compressive properties of cartilage have been proposed, accounting for the collagen fibers implicitly [1,2] or explicitly [3–5]. These models generally propose discrete fiber families to describe the collagen matrix. They are able to capture the most salient features of the cartilage mechanical response, namely, the tension-compression nonlinearity of the stress-strain curve [6].


Author(s):  
D. Zhang ◽  
A. M. Waas ◽  
M. Pankow ◽  
C. F. Yen ◽  
S. Ghiorse

The flexural response of a three-dimensional (3D) layer-to-layer orthogonal interlocked textile composite has been investigated under quasi-static three-point bending. Fiber tow kinking on the compressive side of the flexed specimens has been found to be a strength limiting mechanism for both warp and weft panels. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique has been utilized to map the deformation and identify the matrix microcracking on the tensile side prior to the peak load in the warp direction loaded panels. It has been shown that the geometrical characteristics of textile reinforcement play a key role in the mechanical response of this class of material. A 3D local–global finite element (FE) model that reflects the textile architectures has been proposed to successfully capture the surface strain localizations in the predamage region. To analyze the kink banding event, the fiber tow is modeled as an inelastic degrading homogenized orthotropic solid in a state of plane stress based on Schapery Theory (ST). The predicted peak stress is in agreement with the tow kinking stress obtained from the 3D FE model.


Author(s):  
Arzu Tasci ◽  
Ladina Ettinger ◽  
Stephen Ferguson ◽  
Philippe Büchler

Low back pain is the most common spinal disorder and its main cause is intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. IVD has a major role of withstanding loads generated in the spine during daily activities. However, it has a limited capacity for self-repair. Since it has an avascular structure, the pathways it uses for regeneration is quite complex and not yet well understood. The mechanical stimulation studies on the cell seeded constructs revealed that cells regulate their biosynthetic activity with cyclic loading [1,2]. The mechanical properties of the scaffold might play an important role in the transmission of mechanical signals to the embedded cells. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of agarose concentration on the amount of extracellular matrix synthesis in IVD cell seeded constructs under static culture and cyclic loading conditions.


Author(s):  
Lijuan Zhang ◽  
Spencer P. Lake ◽  
Victor K. Lai ◽  
Victor H. Barocas ◽  
Mark S. Shephard

The mechanical properties of soft connective tissues are governed by their collagen fiber network and surrounding non-fibrillar matrix (e.g., proteoglycans, cells, elastin, etc.). In order to understand how healthy tissues function, and how properties change in injury and disease, it is necessary to quantify the mechanical response of both the collagen network and the non-fibrillar matrix (NFM), as well as the nature of the interaction between these tissue constituents. Using collagen-agarose co-gels as a simple experimental tissue analog system, we have demonstrated how NFM contributes to the mechanical and organizational properties of soft tissues in indentation and tension [1–2]. Furthermore, we used a network-based microscale model to examine how specific NFM properties alter the response of fiber-matrix composites under load [3]. This model fit our experimental data well and provided insight into the role of NFM in tensile mechanics. Since it was constructed according to the conventional approach of superposition of the two constituents (collagen network and NFM), however, the model could not specifically examine local interactions between collagen fibers and the surrounding NFM, which could be critical in assessing tissue damage or cell-matrix interactions. Therefore, we developed and evaluated a fiber-matrix modeling scheme to characterize the microstructural interactions between tissue constituents, as well as to quantify the role of individual tissue components in the behavior of soft tissues under tensile load. For validation, the new model (‘coupled’) was compared to our previous model (‘parallel’) and to experimental co-gel data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 1674-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrick R Dando ◽  
David R Salem

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were incorporated in syntactic foams containing a 90% by volume homogeneous mixture of (20/80 wt%) glass/thermoplastic microballoons to enhance the mechanical and impact response properties. Tensile, compressive, and impact tests were employed to comparatively characterize the effect of nano-additive reinforcement on mechanical response properties. Compressive strength and modulus enhancements as large as 39% and 18%, respectively, were achieved with a 0.125 wt% addition of CNF and increases of 61% and 7%, respectively, were achieved with a 0.125 wt% addition of HNT. Tensile strength and modulus enhancements as large as 107% and 68%, respectively, were achieved with a 0.125 wt% addition of CNF and increases of 104% and 70%, respectively, were achieved with a 0.125 wt% addition of HNT. Impact analysis data were used to show that measured peak force increased and build-up time to peak force decreased with increasing CNF or HNT weight percentage due to stiffening of the matrix. The smallest increase observed in peak force was 20% for a 0.125 wt% addition of CNF and 17% for a 0.125 wt% addition of HNT.


2018 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 01016
Author(s):  
Androniki S. Tsiamaki ◽  
Nick K. Anifantis

The research for new materials that can withstand extreme temperatures and present good mechanical behavior is of great importance. The interest is highly focused on the utilization of composites reinforced by nanomaterials. To cope with this goal the present work studies the mechanical response of graphene reinforced nanocomposite structures subjected to temperature changes. A computational finite element model has been developed that accounts for both the reinforcement and the matrix material phases. The model developed is based on both the continuum theory and the molecular mechanics theory, for the simulation of the three different material phases of the composite, respectively, i.e. the matrix, the intermediate transition phase and the reinforcement. Considering this model, the mechanical response of an appropriate representative volume element of the nanocomposite is simulated under various temperature changes. The study involves different types of reinforcement composed from either monolayer or multilayer graphene sheets. Apart from the investigation of the behavior of a nanocomposite with each particular type of the reinforcement, comparisons are also presented between them in order to reveal optimized material combinations. The principal parameters taken into consideration, which contribute also to the mechanical behavior of the nanocomposite, are its size, the sheet multiplicity as well as the volume fraction.


2016 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
pp. S121
Author(s):  
D. Rival ◽  
S. Pain ◽  
M. Chavan ◽  
S. Cadau ◽  
D. Gauché ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document