Mechanobiology of the Cell Nucleus
The cell nucleus houses genomic DNA and serves as the cell’s central command center. Intriguingly, a rapidly growing body of research suggests that the mechanical properties of the nucleus and physical forces acting on the cell nucleus can directly modulate nuclear function, including gene expression, chromatin organization, and maintenance of genomic integrity. This Special Topic highlights our understanding of “nuclear mechanobiology” as it is increasingly recognized to play important roles in development, tissue homeostasis, and numerous diseases, ranging from muscular dystrophy to heart disease to cancer.
Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
- Mechanical properties of the cell nucleus and its components
- The nucleus as a cellular mechanosensor
- Mechanical control of nuclear import-export
- Nuclear mechanobiology in cell migration
- Altered nuclear mechanobiology in disease
- Nuclear mechanics in development and aging
- Nucleo-cytoskeletal force transmission and nuclear positioning
- Mechanically induced chromatin modifications
- Mechanically induced DNA damage and genomic instability
Guest Editors
Jan Lammerding – Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
Adam J. Engler – University of California, San Diego
Roger Dale Kamm – Massachusetts Institute of Technology