Cited by 26Muscle Physiology and DisordersNuclear Structure and FunctionCellular Mechanics and Interactions

LINCing Nuclear Mechanobiology With Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function

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van Ingen, Maria J. A., Kirby, Tyler J.·2021·Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Abstract

Skeletal muscle demonstrates a high degree of adaptability in response to changes in mechanical input. The phenotypic transformation in response to mechanical cues includes changes in muscle mass and force generating capabilities, yet the molecular pathways that govern skeletal muscle adaptation are still incompletely understood. While there is strong evidence that mechanotransduction pathways that stimulate protein synthesis play a key role in regulation of muscle mass, there are likely additional mechano-sensitive mechanisms important for controlling functional muscle adaptation. There is emerging evidence that the cell nucleus can directly respond to mechanical signals (i.e., nuclear mechanotransduction), providing a potential additional level of cellular regulation for controlling skeletal muscle mass. The importance of nuclear mechanotransduction in cellular function is evident by the various genetic diseases that arise from mutations in proteins crucial to the transmission of force between the cytoskeleton and the nucleus. Intriguingly, these diseases preferentially affect cardiac and skeletal muscle, suggesting that nuclear mechanotransduction is critically important for striated muscle homeostasis. Here we discuss our current understanding for how the nucleus acts as a mechanosensor, describe the main cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins involved in the process, and propose how similar mechanoresponsive mechanisms could occur in the unique cellular environment of a myofiber. In addition, we examine how nuclear mechanotransduction fits into our current framework for how mechanical stimuli regulates skeletal muscle mass.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fcell.2021.690577

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  • In response to increased mechanical loading, YAP and TAZ translocate to the nucleus and interact with TEAD transcription factors, promoting expression of genes involved in cell growth, cytoskeletal remodeling, and ribosome biogenesis.

    “In response to increased mechanical loading, they translocate to the nucleus and interact with TEAD transcription factors, thereby promoting the expression of genes involved in cell growth, cytoskeletal remodeling, and ribosome biogenesis [203,206,207].”

    From Ribosome Biogenesis as a Putative Bottleneck to Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: Mechanisms, Human Evidence, and Practical Modulators (2026) · cites this paper as [207]

    The ‘Transcription Factor Localization/Nuclear Pores’ section reports that force increases YAP nuclear import and that YAP nuclear entry responds to cyclic strain. The ‘Potential Mechanisms’ section describes YAP/TAZ as regulators of skeletal muscle mass, but says their response to nuclear mechanotransduction in mature muscle remains undetermined. Our copy does not state that YAP/TAZ interact with TEAD or promote the specified gene-expression programs. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Such a mechanism may contribute to plateaus in adaptation and partially explain why variation in exercise execution, range of motion, or loading profile can influence hypertrophic outcomes.

    “Such a mechanism may contribute to plateaus in adaptation and may partially explain why variation in exercise execution, range of motion, or loading profile can influence hypertrophic outcomes [203,207].”

    From Ribosome Biogenesis as a Putative Bottleneck to Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: Mechanisms, Human Evidence, and Practical Modulators (2026) · cites this paper as [207]

    The section “Potential Mechanisms for Nuclear Mechanotransduction in Regulating Muscle Mass and Function” (page unavailable) proposes that mechanical input may affect muscle adaptation and says it is not yet known whether structural changes alter tissue mechanosensitivity. It does not connect that proposed mechanism to adaptation plateaus or show that exercise execution, range of motion, or loading profile influence hypertrophic outcomes through it. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Evidence from cellular and animal models suggests the YAP/TAZ pathway may contribute to nucleolar expansion and translational adaptation during muscle growth.

    “Evidence from cellular and animal models suggests that this pathway may contribute to nucleolar expansion and translational adaptation during muscle growth [204,207].”

    From Ribosome Biogenesis as a Putative Bottleneck to Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: Mechanisms, Human Evidence, and Practical Modulators (2026) · cites this paper as [207]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) identifies YAP/TAZ among pathways regulating protein synthesis during skeletal muscle adaptation, and the Potential Mechanisms section describes it as a regulator of muscle mass and adaptation. The copy does not link YAP/TAZ to nucleolar expansion or specifically establish a translational adaptation through that mechanism; searches for those terms found no such passage. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
van Ingen, M. J. A., & Kirby, T. J.
Affiliations
Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
Corresponding author
Kirby, Tyler J.
Venue
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Published
2021-07-21
Volume
9
Pages
690577-690577
ISSN
2296-634X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3184337101
Cited by
26
References
149
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2
FWCI
0.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA603238)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nuclear Structure and Function
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
Keywords
nuclear mechanotransduction, skeletal muscle mass, muscle force production, mechanotransduction, muscle fibers, cytoskeletal proteins, nuclear proteins, muscle atrophy

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