IOVS Stem Cells
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2003;44:4724-4735.)
© 2003 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
DOI:  10.1167/iovs.03-0513
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Appendix: Videos
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Vishwanath, M.
Right arrow Articles by Petroll, W. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vishwanath, M.
Right arrow Articles by Petroll, W. M.

Modulation of Corneal Fibroblast Contractility within Fibrillar Collagen Matrices

Mridula Vishwanath,1 Lisha Ma,1 Carol A. Otey,2 James V. Jester,1 and W. Matthew Petroll1

1From the Department of Ophthalmology, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; and the 2Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

PURPOSE. To investigate the migratory and contractile behavior of isolated human corneal fibroblasts in fibrillar collagen matrices.

METHODS. A telomerase-infected, extended-lifespan human corneal fibroblast cell line (HTK) was transfected by using a vector for enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP)-{alpha}-actinin. Cells were plated at low density on top of or within 100-µm-thick fibrillar collagen lattices. After 18 hours to 7 days, time-lapse imaging was performed. At each 1- to 3-minute interval, GFP and Nomarski differential interference contrast (DIC) images were acquired in rapid succession. Serum-containing (S+) medium was used initially for perfusion. After 2 hours, perfusion was switched to either serum-free (S-) or S+ medium containing the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 for 1 to 2 hours. Finally, perfusion was changed back to S+ medium for 1 hour.

RESULTS. Two to 4 days after plating, many cells underwent spontaneous contraction and/or relaxation in S+ medium. A decrease in the distance between consecutive {alpha}-actinin–dense bodies along stress fibers was measured during contraction, and focal adhesion and matrix displacements correlated significantly. Removal of serum or inhibition of Rho-kinase induced cell body elongation and relaxation of matrix stress, as confirmed using finite element modeling. Rapid formation and extension of pseudopodia and filopodia were also observed, and transient tractional forces were generated by these extending processes.

CONCLUSIONS. Cultured human corneal fibroblasts can undergo rapid changes in the subcellular pattern of force generation that are mediated, in part, by Rho-kinase. Sarcomeric shortening of stress fibers in contracting corneal fibroblasts is also demonstrated for the first time.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 IOVSHome page
W. M. Petroll, M. Vishwanath, and L. Ma
Corneal Fibroblasts Respond Rapidly to Changes in Local Mechanical Stress
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., October 1, 2004; 45(10): 3466 - 3474.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2003 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology