The auxetic nucleus: nuclear mechanics and its role in regulating stem cell differentiation

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Dr Kevin Chalut, Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
• Friday 24 October 2014, 16:00-17:00
• Cambridge University Engineering Department, Lecture Room 6.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Anna Walczyk.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) self-renew in a state of naïve pluripotency, in which they are competent to generate all somatic cells. It has been hypothesized that, before irreversibly committing, ESCs pass through at least one metastable transition state. This transition would represent a gateway for differentiation and reprogramming of somatic cells. We sought a mechanical phenotype of transition by probing the nuclear response to compressive and tensile forces and found that, only during transition, nuclei of ESCs are auxetic: they displayed a cross-sectional expansion when stretched and a cross-sectional contraction when compressed, and their stiffness increased under compression. We showed recently that the auxetic phenotype of transition ESC nuclei is driven at least in part by global chromatin decondensation. Our findings highlight the importance of nuclear structure in the regulation of differentiation and reprogramming. Importantly, there are also significant volume implications we explored for the auxetic phenotype in ESC nuclei during transition. Stretched auxetic nuclei expand significantly in volume, whilst compressed auxetic nuclei condense significantly in volume; this is very unlike most materials, which tend to conserve or lose volume under stress. Therefore, I will discuss how the physical properties of these nuclei in a dynamically remodeling tissue could enhance differentiative capacity by acting as stress-driven auxetic pumps to increase molecular turnover.

This talk is part of the Bioengineering Seminar Series series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge University Engineering Department, Lecture Room 6
• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Biology
• Biology
• CamBridgeSens
• Cambridge Infectious Diseases
• Cambridge Neuroscience Seminars
• Cambridge talks
• Chris Davis' list
• Engineering - Mechanics, Materials and Design (Div C) - talks and events
• Engineering for the Life Sciences Seminars
• Featured lists
• Life Science
• Life Science Interface Seminars
• Life Sciences
• Life Sciences
• ME Seminar
• Neuroscience
• Neuroscience Seminars
• Neuroscience Seminars
• Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
• Trust & Technology Initiative - interesting events
• dh539
• kt532's list
• my_list
• other talks

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.