Maintenance of Tension in Dynamic Stress Fibers

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The research objective of this award is to understand how tension is maintained in dynamic stress fibers despite the continual addition of new actomyosin at focal adhesions. Forces generated in stress fibers are established through interactions between repeating functional units called sarcomeres. While these structures are similar to the building blocks of muscle, preliminary results suggest a fundamental difference. Nascent sarcomeres are continuously produced and added to the fiber at focal adhesions, where new actin is polymerized, and translated into the stress fiber interior. It is not understood how sarcomeres are dynamically added to the stress fiber in a way that maintains tension. This research will improve current understanding of myosin-based force generation by putting it on a quantitative foundation. The proposed effort is of value to theoretical efforts on bridging multiple length scales for models of cellular contractility. Understanding how tension is maintained in the dynamic, multi-scale stress fiber can inspire a new generation of intelligent mechanical devices that have capabilities of self-regulation and self-healing. By improving our understanding of how tension is maintained in dynamic stress fibers, this research can aid the success of tissue engineered substitutes. The state of Florida has a large population of minority students that deserve opportunities to work in research laboratories. The research program will provide opportunities to outstanding minority undergraduate students to perform research. The results of the research will be integrated into two different courses which are part of a new, biomolecular engineering minor at the University of Florida.