Stem cell mechanoadaptation. II. Microtubule stabilization and substrate compliance effects on cytoskeletal remodeling

   This paper of the day article aims to investigate how microtubule stabilization and substrate compliance influence cytoskeletal remodeling in stem cells to gain a better understanding of how these cells adjust to their mechanical environment. After microtubule stabilization, the researchers found that cells grown on compliant substrates exhibited a higher increase in Young's modulus than cells grown on glass. Compared to cells seeded on glass, compliant substrates reduced the increases in F-actin and microtubule concentrations in microtubule-stabilized cells. This study concludes that adaptation of stem cells to compliant substrates makes it easier for the microtubule network to accommodate bigger loads, which has a greater effect on the ability of cells to stiffen and rebuild the cytoskeleton.