Molecular Details of Mechanotransduction

Publication Title:

Mechanoactivation of NOX2-generated ROS elicits persistent TRPM8 Ca²⁺ signals that are inhibited by oncogenic KRas

Advanced BioMatrix Products Used: 

CytoSoft^® PDMS coated plates with substrate stiffness of 0.2, 0.5, 2, 8, 16, 32 and 64 kPa. 

Advanced BioMatrix CytoSoft eBrochure

How the products were used:

CytoSoft^® was used to determine that normal breast epithelial cells are mechanically sensitive, responding to transient mechanical stimuli through a two-part calcium signaling mechanism. 

Intercellular signaling to neighboring cells (neighbors) away from the scratch area (dotted lines) was only present in cells scratched on stiff (8 to 64 kPa) dishes and did not occur on soft dishes (0.2 kPa) (see image below).

This type of stimulus was only possible when cells were cultured and stimulated on CytoSoft^® substrates.