Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 11: Cytoskeleton

BP 11.3: Vortrag

Dienstag, 18. März 2025, 10:15–10:30, H44

Active self-organization of focal adhesions driving cell shape changes — •waleed ahmad mirza, matt govendir, alejandro torres-sánchez, and maria bernabeu — European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Barcelona

Focal adhesions (FAs) are dynamic protein complexes that mediate the interplay between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix (ECM), enabling cells to sense and respond to mechanical and biochemical cues. These complexes drive essential processes such as cytoskeletal reorganization, cell shape modulation, and migration. To investigate these processes, we developed an active gel mathematical model that couples the dynamics of FAs, actin cytoskeleton, and cellular shape changes, capturing the three-way interplay between these components. Numerical solutions of the model successfully recapitulated experimental observations, demonstrating its ability to predict how cells adapt to mechanical and topographical cues. Specifically, the model reproduced key phenomena such as the influence of substrate stiffness on FA dynamics, with stiffer substrates promoting larger, more stable FAs, aligned stress fibers, and enhanced cell motility. It also captured how anisotropic ECM features, such as aligned collagen fibers or patterned topography, direct cytoskeletal organization and cell alignment. Additionally, the model demonstrated how curvature and shear flow provide critical mechanical cues that shape cellular morphology and behavior. This work provides a novel framework for understanding the mechanistic feedback loops underlying cell-ECM interactions and highlights the central role of FAs in regulating cellular behavior.

Keywords: Focal adhesions; Cell shape modulation; Actin cytoskeleton; Mechanotransduction; Extracellular matrix dynamics