SnapShot: Mechanosensing Matrix

Abstract

Cells sense and respond to properties of their microenvironment that can affect cell morphology, protein levels and localization, gene expression, and even nuclear integrity. Tissue micro-stiffness, largely influenced by extracellular matrix, varies dramatically within an organism and can be a useful parameter to both clarify and organize a wide range of cell and molecular processes, such as genomic changes in cancer.