Exploring the roles of integrin binding and cytoskeletal reorganization during mesenchymal stem cell mechanotransduction in soft and stiff hydrogels subjected to dynamic compression.

The objective of this study was to explore how the response of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to dynamic compression (DC) depends on their pericellular environment and the development of their cytoskeleton. MSCs were first seeded into 3% agarose hydrogels, stimulated with the chondrogenic growth factor TGF-β3 and exposed to DC (~10% strain at 1Hz) for 1h on either day 7, 14, or 21 of culture. At each time point, the actin, vimentin and tubulin networks of the MSCs were assessed using confocal microscopy. Similar to previous results, MSCs displayed a temporal response to DC; however, no dramatic changes in gross cytoskeletal organization were observed with time in culture. Vinculin (a membrane-cytoskeletal protein in focal adhesions) staining appeared more intense with time in culture. We next aimed to explore how changes to the pericellular environment, independent of the duration of exposure to TGF-β3, would influence the response of MSCs to DC. To this end, MSCs were encapsulated into either 'soft' or 'stiff' agarose hydrogels that are known to differentially support pericellular matrix (PCM) development. The application of DC led to greater relative increases in the expression of chondrogenic marker genes in the stiffer hydrogels, where the MSCs were found to have a more well developed PCM. These increases in gene expression were not observed following the addition of RGDS, an integrin blocker, suggesting that integrin binding plays a role in determining the response of MSCs to DC. Microtubule organization in MSCs was found to adapt in response to DC, but this effect was not integrin mediated, as this cytoskeletal reorganization was also observed in the presence of RGDS. In conclusion, although the PCM, integrin binding, and cytoskeletal reorganization are all involved in mechanotransduction of DC, none of these factors in isolation was able to completely explain the temporal mechanosensitivity of MSCs to dynamic compression.