Chondrocyte mechanotransduction: effects of compression on deformation of intracellular organelles and relevance to cellular biosynthesis

Szafranski, Jon D; Grodzinsky, Alan J; Burger, Elke; Gaschen, Veronique; Hung, Han-Hwa; Hunziker, Ernst B (2004). Chondrocyte mechanotransduction: effects of compression on deformation of intracellular organelles and relevance to cellular biosynthesis. Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 12(12), pp. 937-46. Amsterdam: Elsevier 10.1016/j.joca.2004.08.004

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OBJECTIVE: The effects of mechanical deformation of intact cartilage tissue on chondrocyte biosynthesis in situ have been well documented, but the mechanotransduction pathways that regulate such phenomena have not been elucidated completely. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of tissue deformation on the morphology of a range of intracellular organelles which play a major role in cell biosynthesis and metabolism. DESIGN: Using chemical fixation, high pressure freezing, and electron microscopy, we imaged chondrocytes within mechanically compressed cartilage explants at high magnification and quantitatively and qualitatively assessed changes in organelle volume and shape caused by graded levels of loading. RESULTS: Compression of the tissue caused a concomitant reduction in the volume of the extracellular matrix (ECM), chondrocyte, nucleus, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. Interestingly, however, the Golgi apparatus was able to resist loss of intraorganelle water and retain a portion of its volume relative to the remainder of the cell. These combined results suggest that a balance between intracellular mechanical and osmotic gradients govern the changes in shape and volume of the organelles as the tissue is compressed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results lead to the interpretive hypothesis that organelle volume changes appear to be driven mainly by osmotic interactions while shape changes are mediated by structural factors, such as cytoskeletal interactions that may be linked to extracellular matrix deformations. The observed volume and shape changes of the chondrocyte organelles and the differential behavior between organelles during tissue compression provide evidence for an important mechanotransduction pathway linking translational and post-translational events (e.g., elongation and sulfation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the Golgi) to cell deformation.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Orthopädische Chirurgie
04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Orthopädische Chirurgie

UniBE Contributor:

Hunziker, Ernst Bruno

ISSN:

1063-4584

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 15:12

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:22

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.joca.2004.08.004

PubMed ID:

15564060

Web of Science ID:

000225622200001

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/31688 (FactScience: 196347)

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