Papers Published

1. Guilak, Farshid, Cytoskeletal regulation of nuclear deformation and intracellular prestress in chondrocytes, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bioengineering Division (Publication) BED, vol. 28 (1994), pp. 213 - 214 .
   (last updated on 2007/04/15)

   Abstract:
   Changes in chondrocyte shape and volume are believed to play a role in the mechanical signal transduction pathway of articular cartilage. To examine how chondrocyte deformation may be transduced to an intracellular signal, confocal microscopy was used to perform three-dimensional morphometric analyses of chondrocyte nuclei during applied deformation of the cartilage matrix. Uniaxial compression of the matrix resulted in a significant decrease in nuclear height in the direction of compression, concomitant with decreases in overall chondrocyte height and volume. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton resulted in a decrease in nuclear size and prevented nuclear deformation during matrix loading. These findings suggest that the chondrocyte nucleus exists in a state of tensile prestress, and that the actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in regulating nuclear deformation.

   Keywords:
   Deformation;Microscopic examination;Three dimensional;Cartilage;Proteins;Morphology;Physiology;Metabolites;