Mechanosensing of Substrate Dimension and Migration State in Adherent Cells

The behavior of adherent cells is known to be affected by both chemical signals and physical cues in the extracellular environment, including substrate topography and rigidity. The process of sensing physical features and converting them to intracellular signals is believed to rely on the formation of adhesion structures and the generation of actomyosin-based traction forces. Equally important is signaling in the reverse direction, as internal cellular activities regulate mechanical output to the extracellular environment. This thesis explores how substrate dimension and migration state are monitored by adherent cells and how they affect cell behavior.