Directional Dependent Stretch-Induced Response In Neonatal Mouse Cardiomyocytes

Static, mechanical stretch of neonatal cardiomyocytes induces changes in gene expression and can be used as a model to study cardiac hypertrophy. It has been hypothesized that the location of mechanosensors in relation to the cytoskeletal alignment may cause a directionally dependent response. To investigate the directionally-dependent cellular response to stretch, neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes are cultured on a deformable silicone membrane, which is micropatterned to create parallel grooves that align the cardiomyocytes. By adjusting the groove orientation, the primary direction of stretch can be applied along or transverse to the cell alignment. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) results show a more robust gene response to longitudinal than to transverse stretch. After 30 minutes of stretch, 349 and 1161 genes are considered differentially expressed (DE) from transverse and longitudinal stretch, respectively. After 4 hours, the number of DE genes increases to 962 and 3925. Pathway enrichment analysis indicates th...