Alpha‐smooth muscle actin expression enhances cell traction force

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Abstract
Using an established corneal stromal cell differentiation model, we manipulated α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) protein expression levels in fibroblasts by treating them with TGF‐β1, bFGF, TGF‐β type I receptor inhibitor (SB‐431542), and siRNA against α‐SMA. The corresponding cell traction forces (CTFs) were determined by cell traction force microscopy. With all these treatments, we found that α‐SMA is not required for CTF induction, but its expression upregulates CTF. This upregulation involves the modification of stress fibers but does not appear to relate to non‐muscle myosin II expression or β‐actin expression. Moreover, there exists a linear relationship between α‐SMA protein expression level and CTF magnitude. Finally, CTFs were found to vary among a population of myofibroblasts, suggesting that α‐SMA protein expression levels of individual cells also vary. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2007.

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