TY - CHAP
T1 - The Use of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels to Study the Effects of Matrix Stiffness on Nuclear Envelope Properties
AU - Minaisah, Rose-Marie
AU - Cox, Susan
AU - Warren, Derek Thomas
PY - 2016/5/5
Y1 - 2016/5/5
N2 - Matrix-derived mechanical cues influence cell proliferation, motility, and differentiation. Recent findings clearly demonstrate that the nuclear envelope (NE) adapts and remodels in response to mechanical signals, including matrix stiffness, yet a plethora of studies have been performed on tissue culture plastic or glass that have a similar stiffness to cortical bone. Using methods that allow modulation of matrix stiffness will provide further insight into the role of the NE in physiological conditions and the impact of changes in stiffness observed during ageing and disease on cellular function. In this chapter, we describe the polyacrylamide hydrogel system, which allows fabrication of hydrogels with variable stiffness to better mimic the environment experienced by cells in most tissues of the body.
AB - Matrix-derived mechanical cues influence cell proliferation, motility, and differentiation. Recent findings clearly demonstrate that the nuclear envelope (NE) adapts and remodels in response to mechanical signals, including matrix stiffness, yet a plethora of studies have been performed on tissue culture plastic or glass that have a similar stiffness to cortical bone. Using methods that allow modulation of matrix stiffness will provide further insight into the role of the NE in physiological conditions and the impact of changes in stiffness observed during ageing and disease on cellular function. In this chapter, we describe the polyacrylamide hydrogel system, which allows fabrication of hydrogels with variable stiffness to better mimic the environment experienced by cells in most tissues of the body.
U2 - 10.1007/978-1-4939-3530-7_15
DO - 10.1007/978-1-4939-3530-7_15
M3 - Chapter
VL - 1411
SP - 233
EP - 239
BT - Methods in Molecular Biology
ER -