Mechanical Cues Regulate Histone Modifications and Cell Behavior

Abstract

Change of biophysical factors in tissue microenvironment is an important step in a chronic disease development process. A mechanical and biochemical factor from cell living microniche can regulate cell epigenetic decoration and, therefore, further induce change of gene expression. In this review, we will emphasize the mechanism that biophysical microenvironment manipulates cell behavior including gene expression and protein decoration, through modifying histone amino acid residue modification. The influence given by different mechanical forces, including mechanical stretch, substrate surface stiffness, and shear stress, on cell fate and behavior during chronic disease development including tumorigenesis will also be teased out. Overall, the recent work summarized in this review culminates on the hypothesis that a mechanical factor stimulates the modification on histone which could facilitate disease detection and potential therapeutic target.

Figure 1

Mechanical cues regulate histone modifications to modulate cell fate. Various mechanical stimuli, including substrate stiffness, mechanical stretch, topological substrate, shear stress, compression, and squeezing, modulate histone modifications, which regulate chromatin reorganization and cell plasticity.