The Mechanochemical Coupling Mechanism of Matrix Stiffnesses and Growth Factors Driving the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
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摘要:
上皮-间质转化(epithelial to mesenchymal transition, EMT)是胚胎发育、伤口愈合、癌症发展等生理、病理过程中的关键步骤,使细胞从紧密黏附在一起的上皮状态转变为分散排布的间质状态. 该文提出了一个基质刚度和生长因子协同驱动EMT的核心调控回路模型,发现在EMT过程中,基质刚度和生长因子通过协同调控EMT激活转录因子(EMT-activating transcript factors, EMT-TFs)来改变细胞间力学黏附分子E/N-钙黏素的表达,从而影响EMT的进程与可逆性. 该模型揭示了力学和化学因素的协同作用对EMT过程中细胞间力学黏附的影响机制,为研究癌症等疾病的发生、发展机制和防治策略奠定了理论基础.
Abstract:The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical step in physiological and pathological processes such as the embryonic development, the wound healing, and the cancer progression, wherein cells transition from a tightly adherent epithelial state to a dispersed mesenchymal state. An EMT core circuit model driven by the synergistic regulation of matrix stiffnesses and growth factors was proposed. The results show that, during the EMT, the matrix stiffnesses and growth factors collaboratively regulate the expression of the E/N-cadherin, a typical cell-cell adhesion molecule, by modulating the EMT-activating transcription factors, thus influencing the progression and reversibility of the EMT. The model elucidates the mechanism of synergistic interactions between mechanical and chemical factors on cell-cell adhesion during the EMT, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding the occurrence, development mechanisms, and preventive strategies against diseases such as cancer.
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Key words:
- mechanical modeling /
- mechanochemical coupling /
- epithelial-mesenchymal transition /
- cell-cell adhesion
edited-byedited-by1) (我刊编委林敏来稿) -
图 4 在不同外源性TGF-β相对浓度(ρTGF, ext0)诱导细胞EMT发生10天后,将细胞置于相应外源性TGF-β相对浓度(ρTGF, ext1)下培养10天,细胞中钙黏素相对浓度的变化
Figure 4. Relative expressions of cadherins in cells firstly treated with various exogenous TGF-β levels (ρTGF, ext0) for 10 days and then with indicated exogenous TGF-β levels (ρTGF, ext1) for another 10 days
图 8 上皮细胞在一定外源性TGF-β相对浓度(ρTGF, ext0)培养10天后,再撤去外源性TGF-β培养10天,N-钙黏素相对浓度的最大值和最终值随不同外源性TGF-β相对浓度和基质刚度的变化相图
Figure 8. Phase diagrams showing N-cadherin maxima and end-point values at different matrix stiffnesses and exogenous TGF-β levels (ρTGF, ext0). The simulations correpond to epithetial cells firstly treated with various exogenous TGF-β levels for 10 days and then without exogenous TGF-β for another 10 days
表 1 完全EMT后细胞中相关分子的相对浓度
Table 1. Relative expressions of related molecules in the full EMT state
notation meaning value reference ρTGF, M relative expression of endogenous TGF-β in mesenchymal cells 10 [19] ρRsnail, M relative expression of Snail mRNA in mesenchymal cells 5 [20, 43] ρSNAIL, M relative expression of SNAIL in mesenchymal cells 10 [20, 43] ρmiR34, M relative expression of miR-34 in mesenchymal cells 0.15 [20] ρRzeb, M relative expression of Zeb mRNA in mesenchymal cells 5 [20] ρZEB, M relative expression of ZEB in mesenchymal cells 10 [20] ρmiR200, M relative expression of miR-200 in mesenchymal cells 0.15 [20] ρEcad, M relative expression of E-cadherin in mesenchymal cells 0.13 [20, 43] ρNcad, M relative expression of N-cadherin in mesenchymal cells 8 [20, 43] 表 2 模型参数
Table 2. Parameters used in the model
notation meaning value kgT/h-1 production rate of TGF-β 0.25 JT Michaelis constant of miR-200-inhibited production of TGF-β 0.29 kdT/h-1 degradation rate ofTGF-β 0.02 kg0s/h-1 basic production rate of Snail mRNA 0.26 kgs/h-1 TGF-β-dependent production rate of Snail mRNA 1.04 Js Michaelis constant of TGF-β-dependent Snail mRNA production 5 kds/h-1 degradation rate of Snail mRNA 0.26 kgS/h-1 production rate of SNAIL 0.16 JS Michaelis constant of SNAIL production 1 kdS/h-1 degradation rate of SNAIL 0.08 kg34/h-1 production rate of miR-34 0.53 J34S Michaelis constant of SNAIL-dependent miR-34 production 10 J34Z Michaelis constant of ZEB-dependent miR-34 production 4.5 kd34/h-1 degradation rate of miR-34 0.5 kgz/h-1 production rate of Zeb mRNA 1.04 Jz Michaelis constant of Zeb mRNA production 2 kdz/h-1 degradation rate of Zeb mRNA 0.2 kgZ/h-1 production rate ZEB 0.2 JZ Michaelis constant of ZEB production 1 kdZ/h-1 degradation rate of ZEB 0.1 kg200/h-1 production rate of miR-200 0.53 J200S Michaelis constant of SNAIL-dependent miR-200 production 4.5 J200Z Michaelis constant of ZEB-dependent miR-200 production 10 kd200/h-1 degradation rate of miR-200 0.5 kg1E/h-1 SNAIL-dependent production rate of E-cadherin 0.011 JES Michaelis constant of SNAIL-dependent E-cadherin production 3.7 kg2E/h-1 ZEB-dependent production rate of E-cadherin 0.011 JEZ Michaelis constant of ZEB-dependent E-cadherin production 3.7 kdE/h-1 degradation rate of E-cadherin 0.02 kg1N/h-1 SNAIL-dependent production rate of N-cadherin 0.086 JNS Michaelis constant of SNAIL-dependent N-cadherin production 2.76 kg2N/h-1 ZEB-dependent production rate of N-cadherin 0.086 JNZ Michaelis constant of ZEB-dependent N-cadherin production 2.76 kdN/h-1 degradation rate of N-cadherin 0.02 $\tilde{k}_{\mathrm{CN}}$ relative import rate of TWIST1 into nucleus 10 $\tilde{k}_{\mathrm{g}}^{\mathrm{TG}}$ relative binding rate of TWIST1 to G3BP2 100 E0/kPa stiffness where TWIST1 phosphorylation reaches the half maximum level 0.1 -
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