'Tensegrity'
we have all heard about how molecular signals influence cell behaviour and differentiation. There is this one guy that actually launched the concept of 'tensegrity'. The matrix that surrounds the cell directly influences the shape and behaviour of it. When they produced an artifical square matrix the cell became square. When they made a circle and two cells were present they would actually form a yin and yang shape and start encircling each other, moving like a rotor.
Also stretching of the cell influences the behaviour of a cell. When the cell was hardly stretched the cell became apoptotic.When the cell was stretched really far the cell proliferated.
I think something that could be related to this was seen in certain cancers when there was a defect in the integrins. Maybe these cells were somehow stretched and proliferate out of control.
This is an old link:
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~cmallery/255/255chem/tensegritymodel.htm
There seem to be some articles out, but I still have to check them. This is just what I heard from someone who heard the presentation by the man behind tensegrity, Donald Ingber.
in conclusion: Maybe more things are regulated by 'morphology' than we actually think.
we have all heard about how molecular signals influence cell behaviour and differentiation. There is this one guy that actually launched the concept of 'tensegrity'. The matrix that surrounds the cell directly influences the shape and behaviour of it. When they produced an artifical square matrix the cell became square. When they made a circle and two cells were present they would actually form a yin and yang shape and start encircling each other, moving like a rotor.
Also stretching of the cell influences the behaviour of a cell. When the cell was hardly stretched the cell became apoptotic.When the cell was stretched really far the cell proliferated.
I think something that could be related to this was seen in certain cancers when there was a defect in the integrins. Maybe these cells were somehow stretched and proliferate out of control.
This is an old link:
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~cmallery/255/255chem/tensegritymodel.htm
There seem to be some articles out, but I still have to check them. This is just what I heard from someone who heard the presentation by the man behind tensegrity, Donald Ingber.
in conclusion: Maybe more things are regulated by 'morphology' than we actually think.
