Piezo1 regulates the mechanotransduction of soft matrix viscoelasticity
Source: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/367342/ Parent: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html
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Piezo1 regulates the mechanotransduction of soft matrix viscoelasticity
Oliva, M. A.G. et al. (2025) Piezo1 regulates the mechanotransduction of soft matrix viscoelasticity. Nature Communications, 16(1), 9155. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64185-5) (PMID:41093846) (PMCID:PMC12528374)
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Abstract
Mechanosensitive ion channels such as Piezo1 have fundamental roles in sensing the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. However, whether and how Piezo1 senses time-dependent matrix mechanical properties, that is, viscoelasticity, remains unknown. To address this question, we combine an immortalised mesenchymal stem cell line, in which Piezo1 expression can be silenced, with soft and stiff viscoelastic hydrogels that have independently tuneable elastic and viscous moduli. We demonstrate that Piezo1 is a regulator of the mechanotransduction of viscoelasticity in soft matrices, both experimentally and through simulations incorporating Piezo1 into a modified viscoelastic molecular clutch model. Using RNA sequencing, we also identify the transcriptomic responses of mesenchymal stem cells to matrix viscoelasticity and Piezo1 activity, identifying gene signatures that reflect their mechanobiology in soft and stiff viscoelastic hydrogels.
| Item Type: | Articles |
| Additional Information: | M.A.G.O. acknowledges the Wellcome grant [204820/Z/16/Z], which supported the RNA sequencing shown in this work. S.D. acknowledges a Worldwide Cancer Research grant 21-0156, AIRC Foundation investigator grants 21392 and 28940, and Italian Ministry of University and Research PRIN grants 2022T9RM8A and P2022CE7SP. P.R. acknowledges 2020, 2021 and 2022 Veronesi Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships and an AIRC MFAG 27453. We acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council AdG (Devise, 101054728 to M.S.S) and EPSRC HT2050 grant (EP/X033554/1 to M.S.S.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2022-142672NB-I00 to P.R.-C. and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 through the PID2022-136433OB-C21 to M.S.-S.), the European Research Council (grant 101097753 MechanoSynth to P.R.-C.), the Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 01425 to P.R.-C.), The prise ‘ICREA Academia’ for excellence in research to P.R.-C. IBEC is a recipient of a Severo Ochoa Award of Excellence from MINCIN and member of CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. |
| Keywords: | Piezo1, extracellular matrix, viscoelasticity, molecular clutch, mesenchymal stem cells, RNAseq. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Salmeron-Sanchez, Professor Manuel and CICCONE, Mr GIUSEPPE and Dobre, Dr Oana and Luo, Mr Jiajun and Voigt, Jonah and Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva, Dr Mariana and Vassalli, Professor Massimo |
| Authors: | Oliva, M. A.G., Ciccone, G., Fläschner, G., Luo, J., Voigt, J. L., Romani, P., Genever, P., Dobre, O., Dupont, S., Vassalli, M., Roca-Cusachs, P., and Salmeron-Sanchez, M. |
| College/School: | College of Science and Engineering College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering |
| Journal Name: | Nature Communications |
| Publisher: | Nature Research |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2041-1723 |
| Published Online: | 15 October 2025 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2025 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Nature Communications 16(1):9155 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
| Related URLs: | - Research Data - Research Data - Research Data |
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Funder and Project Information
Funder and Project Information
Funder and Project Information
Project Code
Award No
Project Name
Principal Investigator
Funder's Name
Funder Ref
Lead Dept
Institutional Strategic Support Fund (2016)
Anna Dominiczak
204820/Z/16/Z
School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
DEVISE - Engineered viscoelasticity in regenerative microenvironments
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
101054728
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
Mechanobiology-based medicine - Phase 2
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
EP/X033554/1
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
Deposit and Record Details
| ID Code: | 367342 |
| Depositing User: | Mr Matt Mahon |
| Datestamp: | 18 Nov 2025 11:33 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Mar 2026 16:14 |
| Date of acceptance: | 8 September 2025 |
| Date of first online publication: | 15 October 2025 |
| Date Deposited: | 25 September 2025 |
| Data Availability Statement: | Yes |
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