Journal: Advanced Science
Article Title: Targeting Nuclear Mechanics Mitigates the Fibroblast Invasiveness in Pathological Dermal Scars Induced by Matrix Stiffening
doi: 10.1002/advs.202308253
Figure Lengend Snippet: Nuclear softening, along with weak adhesion, accelerates confined migration in keloid fibroblasts. a–d) Nuclear deformability analysis. Representative time‐lapse image series of the deformation of fluorescently labeled cell nuclei in the microfluidic micropipette aspiration device (left) with a schematic (top right) (a). Scale bar, 10 µm. NFs, KFs, or KFs transfected with mCherry‐LMNA plasmid (OE) were pre‐cultured on either soft or stiff substrates for 2 days before the assay. The relative proportions of populations depending on nuclear deformability (b). The nuclear deformation rate was measured based on the protrusion length change over time upon aspiration (c, n > 30 nuclei/condition). Nuclear protrusion profiles for 180 sec of aspiration (d, n = 22–45 nuclei/condition). The slope ( m ) was determined by linear fits as shown in (d). e,f) Transwell migration assays on cells pre‐cultured under each condition for 2 days. An FE‐SEM image of transwell with (8 µm‐diameter pores) (top left), and pseudocolor images of crystal violet staining (rainbow) following the transwell migration assay (right) (e) and quantification (f, n = 10 field/condition). Scale bar, 200 µm. g,h) Analysis of focal adhesion formations in response to TGF‐β1. Representative co‐staining images of paxillin (green) and F‐actin (red) (g). Scale bar, 50 µm (main images), and 15 µm (inserts). Quantitative analysis of the number ( n = 30 cells/condition), size ( n = 100 FA/condition), and aspect ratios ( n = 100 FA/condition) of focal adhesions based on the co‐staining images (h). i–k) 3D confined migration assays through polymeric dense fibrous matrices. Schematic of the assay, along with an FE‐SEM image showing the fibrous structure of the matrix with 3.7 µm‐diameter pores (i). After 2 days of pre‐culture on stiff substrates with TGF‐β1, cells were replated onto the fibrous matrices for the confined migration assay. 3D confocal reconstructions of cell (red) migration through fibrous networks (green) along with cross‐sectional views (j). Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar, 100 µm. Quantification of the percentage of infiltrated cells ( n = 11 fields/condition), cell infiltration depth ( n = 55 cells/condition from 10 independent experiments), and cell spreading area ( n = 55 cells/condition from 10 independent experiments) (k). Data are representative of at least three independent experiments. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, and **** p < 0.0001; one‐way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc tests for (b), and two‐tailed paired Student's t ‐test for (f), (h), and (k).
Article Snippet: Primary human dermal fibroblasts isolated from healthy skin or keloids were purchased from Fisher Scientific or ATCC, respectively (See Table , Supporting Information, for detailed information on cells).
Techniques: Migration, Labeling, Transfection, Plasmid Preparation, Cell Culture, Staining, Transwell Migration Assay, Two Tailed Test