About this Research Topic
Dynamic chromatin remodeling and epigenetic modifications affect gene expression patterns that dictate cellular form and function, and drive the assembly of cells into tissues. The high degree of plasticity in the epigenomic landscape of mammalian cells is directed by their microenvironment. The space in which cells reside provides multivariate signals that propagate biophysical and biochemical cues from the extracellular environment to the nucleus to program the chromatin state towards specific functional outcomes.
A major hurdle in understanding how the cellular microenvironment guides changes in the epigenomic landscape is the challenge of studying cells in living tissues. In recent years, cell culture approaches have evolved from relying only on stiff planar substrates to also using well-defined biopolymer materials that mimic physiological environments. This change has facilitated systematic investigations of how microenvironmental cues affect cellular chromatin organization and epigenomic plasticity.
This research topic aims to highlight original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews on how materials cues and context - such as ligand presentation, biomechanics, topography and geometry - influence chromatin state and the epigenomic landscape in cellular homeostasis and disease.
A major hurdle in understanding how the cellular microenvironment guides changes in the epigenomic landscape is the challenge of studying cells in living tissues. In recent years, cell culture approaches have evolved from relying only on stiff planar substrates to also using well-defined biopolymer materials that mimic physiological environments. This change has facilitated systematic investigations of how microenvironmental cues affect cellular chromatin organization and epigenomic plasticity.
This research topic aims to highlight original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews on how materials cues and context - such as ligand presentation, biomechanics, topography and geometry - influence chromatin state and the epigenomic landscape in cellular homeostasis and disease.
Keywords: Chromatin, Epigenomics, Mechanotransduction, Nuclear envelope, ECM-nuclear coupling, 3D cell culture, Biomaterials
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