Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Singapore

Mechanobiology of Disease

Poster Abstracts

53-POS Board 53 High Hydrostatic Pressure Induces Signal Transduction of the MAPK Pathway Masatoshi Morimatsu , Ayano Fujita, Ken Takahashi, Keiji Naruse. Okayama University, Okayama, Okayama, Japan. Cells sense physical signals and translate them into biological responses via mechanotransduction. In our bodies, pressure also stimulates bone and tooth development in the range of several dozen MPa. However, fundamental aspects of how these cells detect pressure on a molecular level remain poorly understood, in part due to a lack of methods that can quantitatively apply hydrostatic pressure to cells and quantify signal transduction. Here we tested the effect of hydrostatic pressure on activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. We applied various hydrostatic pressures (0.1 ~ 40 MPa) to fibroblast cells and observed the localization of phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (phospho- ERK), which leads to cell growth and differentiation. At a pressure level higher than atmospheric (~ 40 MPa), phospho-ERK proteins displayed enhanced localization to the nucleus. Furthermore higher hydrostatic pressure induced the phospholylation of ERK proteins via the MAPK pathway. Our preliminary data suggests higher hydrostatic pressure increases the probability of phospho-ERK translocation to the nucleus. Ongoing work uses the unique capabilities of mechanical hydrostatic pressure control in vitro to clarify mechanotransduction mechanisms and induce cell growth.

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