Tissue deformation-dependent regulation of cell proliferation: distinct roles of cell-substrate and cell-cell adhesions

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K12596
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Institute of Technology (2022); Nagoya University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Hiroaki Hirata 金沢工業大学, バイオ・化学部, 教授 (90414028)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: メカノバイオロジー / 焦点接着斑 / アドヘレンスジャンクション / FAK

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Studies in recent years have revealed that cell proliferation in tissues is regulated by deformation of tissues. Tissue deformation alters mechanical loads at both cell-substrate and cell-cell adhesions. However, it remains unclear how changes in mechanical statuses of cell adhesion complexes affect cell proliferation in deformed tissues. In this study, we found that cell proliferation in an epithelial cell monolayer was not changed upon sustained uniaxial stretch of the monolayer, which was underlain by a balance between the FAK-mediated pro-proliferative effect of tension at focal adhesions and the post-proliferative effect of tension at adherens junctions.

Free Research Field

メカノバイオロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、上皮細胞の増殖制御における焦点接着斑引張力とアドヘレンスジャンクション引張力の役割を、伸展変形時の単層上皮中で分離同定することができた。今後、それぞれの接着構造の力学状態を個別に操作する手法を開発できれば、上皮組織における細胞増殖の人為的コントロールが可能となり、再生医療に資する人工組織の効率的作製・培養法や上皮性がんの新規治療法の開発へつながることが期待される。