Journal article
Mechanotransduction: A Master Regulator of Alveolar Cell Fate Determination
Bioengineering (Basel), Vol.12(7), 760
07/14/2025
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering12070760
PMCID: PMC12292443
PMID: 40722452
Abstract
Mechanotransduction plays an essential role in the fate determination of alveolar cells within the pulmonary system by translating mechanical forces into intricate biochemical signals. This process exclusively governs differentiation, phenotypic stability, and maintenance of alveolar epithelial cell subtypes, primarily the alveolar AT1/AT2 cells. Perturbed mechanical tension proportionally impacts alveolar cell phenotypic identity and their functional characteristics. The fundamental influence of respiratory mechanics on alveolar cell lineage commitment and sustenance is undeniable. AT1 cells are recognized as principal mechanosensors within the alveolus, directly perceiving and responding to mechanical forces imposed by respiration through cell–matrix interactions. These mechanical forces instigate a profound reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton within cells, indispensable for signal transduction and perpetuation of their differentiated phenotype, orchestrated by integrins and cell adhesion molecule-mediated signaling. The dysregulated mechanotransduction in the pulmonary system intrinsically contributes to the etiology and progression of various diseases, exemplified by pulmonary fibrosis. This review systematically elucidates the profound impact of mechanotransduction on alveolar cell differentiation and fate sustenance and underscores how its dysregulation contributes to the initiation and perpetuation of lung diseases.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Mechanotransduction: A Master Regulator of Alveolar Cell Fate Determination
- Creators
- Kusum Devi - University of Iowa, Cardiothoracic SurgeryKalpaj R. Parekh - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Bioengineering (Basel), Vol.12(7), 760
- DOI
- 10.3390/bioengineering12070760
- PMID
- 40722452
- PMCID
- PMC12292443
- NLM abbreviation
- Bioengineering (Basel)
- ISSN
- 2306-5354
- eISSN
- 2306-5354
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Grant note
- NHLBI/NIH
This research was funded by the NHLBI/NIH: Grant # 2R01HL136370-06 (P.I. Kalpaj R. Parekh).
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/14/2025
- Academic Unit
- Anatomy and Cell Biology; Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Record Identifier
- 9984847993002771
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