mechanotaxis

Mechanotaxis is the directed movement or orientation of cells in response to mechanical cues in their environment. These cues include substrate stiffness, tensile forces, shear stress, stretch, and the architecture of the extracellular matrix. Mechanotaxis is related to other mechanosensitive responses and is often discussed alongside durotaxis, which specifically refers to migration along stiffness gradients. It is distinct from chemotaxis, where movement is guided by chemical gradients.

Cells detect mechanical signals through integrin-containing focal adhesions linked to the actin cytoskeleton. Mechanotransduction involves signaling pathways such as RhoA/ROCK and changes in cytoskeletal tension, as well as transcriptional responses mediated by factors like YAP/TAZ and MRTF-A. This signaling can modulate migration speed, direction, and cell morphology, with stiffer environments often promoting stronger traction forces and guidance toward stiffer regions.

Types and examples of mechanotaxis include durotaxis, where cells migrate toward higher stiffness regions, and contact guidance, where cells align and move along extracellular matrix fibers. Responses to shear flow, such as endothelial cells aligning with blood flow, also fall under mechanotactic behavior. Stretch-induced orientation is observed in fibroblasts and other cell types. Mechanotaxis plays roles in development, wound healing, tissue remodeling, and pathological contexts such as cancer, where matrix stiffness and mechanical forces influence invasion and progression.

Experimental approaches to study mechanotaxis include substrates with controlled stiffness gradients, microfluidic devices to apply precise shear, and traction force microscopy to quantify exerted forces. Computational models help predict how mechanical landscapes shape migratory paths. Understanding mechanotaxis informs tissue engineering and has implications for angiogenesis, fibrosis, and metastasis.