The tensegrity model applied to the lens: a hypothesis for the presence of the fiber cell ball and sockets

Yamada, Takuji; Richiert, Dawn M.; Tumminia, Santa J.; Russell, Paul

doi:10.1054/mehy.1999.0994

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It also has helped to explain how living organisms can function as integrated mechanical systems, even though they are complex hierarchical structures (molecules within cells within tissues within organs). Indeed, the tensegrity principle has been invoked by investigators to explain an unusually wide range of unexplained phenomena in many different systems and species, including: lipid micelle formation (Butcher and Lamb, 1984), protein folding in milk globules (Farrell et al, 2002), protein organization within viral capsids (Caspar, 1980), the structure of actin microfilaments (Schutt et al, 1997), pattern formation in paramecium (Kaczanowska et al, 1995), hyphal morphology in fungi (Kaminsky and Heath, 1996), neurite outgrowth (Joshi et al, 1985;Buxbaum and Heidemann, 1988), endothelial permeability barrier function (Moy et al, 1998), vascular tone (Northover and Northover, 1993), dystrophin function in muscular dystrophy (Gillis, 1999), choriocarcinoma differentiation (Hohn et al, 1996), control of apoptosis (Ciesla, 2001), morphogenesis of mammalian cells and tissues (Ingber et al, 1981;Ingber and Jamieson, 1985;Pienta and Coffey, 1991a;Pienta et al, 1991;Huang and Ingber, 1999;Ingber et al, 1994), the structure of the skin (Ryan, 1989), lens (Yamada et al, 2000), cartilage (Malinin and Malinin, 1999), retina (Galli-Resta, 2002) and brain (Van Essen, 1997), the mechanics of the human skeleton (Levin, 1997), tumor formation and metastasis (Ingber et al, 1981;Ingber and Jamieson, 1985;Pienta and Coffey, 1991b;Huang and Ingber, 1999), as well as gravity sensing in both animals and plants Yoder e...…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology

Ingber

2003

Journal of Cell Science

1,119

795

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In 1993, a Commentary in this journal described how a simple mechanical model of cell structure based on tensegrity architecture can help to explain how cell shape, movement and cytoskeletal mechanics are controlled, as well as how cells sense and respond to mechanical forces (J. Cell Sci.104, 613-627). The cellular tensegrity model can now be revisited and placed in context of new advances in our understanding of cell structure,biological networks and mechanoregulation that have been made over the past decade. Recent work provides strong evidence to support the use of tensegrity by cells, and mathematical formulations of the model predict many aspects of cell behavior. In addition, development of the tensegrity theory and its translation into mathematical terms are beginning to allow us to define the relationship between mechanics and biochemistry at the molecular level and to attack the larger problem of biological complexity. Part I of this two-part article covers the evidence for cellular tensegrity at the molecular level and describes how this building system may provide a structural basis for the hierarchical organization of living systems — from molecule to organism. Part II, which focuses on how these structural networks influence information processing networks, appears in the next issue.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology

Ingber

2003

Journal of Cell Science

1,119

795

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“…Similar to other tissues (Ingber, 2003a, b), the cells of the lens must interact with both the extracellular matrix and each other to maintain the structural integrity of the tissue, and to regulate cell function (Yamada et al, 2000). While lens cells express a wide array of cell adhesion molecules capable of mediating such interactions, relatively little is known about the function of many of these molecules in the lens and how these functions change as LECs differentiate into lens fibers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beta-1 integrin is important for the structural maintenance and homeostasis of differentiating fiber cells

Scheiblin

Gao

Caplan

et al. 2014

The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology

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β1-integrin is a heterodimeric transmembrane protein that has roles in both cell-extracellular matrix and cell-cell interactions. Conditional deletion of β1-integrin from all lens cells during embryonic development results in profound lens defects, however, it is less clear whether this reflects functions in the lens epithelium alone or whether this protein plays a role in lens fibers. Thus, a conditional approach was used to delete β1-integrin solely from the lens fiber cells. This deletion resulted in two distinct phenotypes with some lenses exhibiting cataracts while others were clear, albeit with refractive defects. Analysis of “clear” conditional knockout lenses revealed that they had profound defects in fiber cell morphology associated with the loss of the F-actin network. Physiological measurements found that the lens fiber cells had a two-fold increase in gap junctional coupling, perhaps due to differential localization of connexins 46 and 50, as well as increased water permeability. This would presumably facilitate transport of ions and nutrients through the lens, and may partially explain how lenses with profound structural abnormalities can maintain transparency. In summary, β1-integrin plays a role in maintaining the cellular morphology and homeostasis of the lens fiber cells.

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“…Previous work on the tensegrity principle has been done at the cellular and sub-cellular levels of the human structure (Ingber, 1991(Ingber, , 1993(Ingber, , 1997Yamada et al, 2000;Stamenovic and Coughlin, 2000). The tensegrity principle states that increased tension in one element of a structure has to be balanced by increasing tension in another element of the same structure to maintain its shape (Ingber, 1998).…”

Section: Article In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%