Mechanical stress triggers nuclear remodeling and the formation of transmembrane actin nuclear lines with associated nuclear pore complexes

Mol Biol Cell. 2020 Jul 21;31(16):1774-1787. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E19-01-0027. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Abstract

Mechanical stimulation of fibroblasts induces changes in the actin cytoskeleton including stress fiber (SF) reinforcement and realignment. Here we characterize the nuclear response to mechanical stimulation (uniaxial cyclic stretch). Using fluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analysis we find that stretch-induced nuclear elongation and alignment perpendicular to the stretch vector are dependent on formin-regulated actin polymerization. The mechanosensitive transcription factors Yes-associated protein/Transcriptional coactivator with PDZ domain (YAP/TAZ) and myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF-A, also known as MKL1 and MAL1) accumulate in the nucleus and activate their target genes in response to uniaxial cyclic stretch. We show that transmembrane actin nuclear (TAN) lines are induced by stretch stimulation and nuclear envelope (NE) proteins including nesprins, SUN2, and lamins form Linkers of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes aligned with actin SFs. These NE structures are altered by pharmacological treatments (Cytochalasin D and Jasplakinolide) or genetic disruption (zyxin gene deletion) that alter actin, and their persistence requires maintenance of stretch stimulation. Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) accumulate at TAN lines providing a potential mechanism for linking mechanical cues to NPC function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Mechanoreceptors / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Nuclear Pore / metabolism*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Stress Fibers / metabolism
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • Actins
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mrtfa protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • Yap1 protein, mouse
  • myocardin