Abstract below

Elizabeth (Liz) Jones

Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology,
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,
KU Leuven, Belgium.

Mechanical forces in endothelial cell migration and differentiation

Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and as such they are constantly exposed to blood flow.  Because of this, they experience both shear stress and cyclic stretch. They also reside on a matrix and are sensitive to the stiffness of the matrix.  Endothelial cells are exceedingly sensitive to mechanical cues and thus, these forces inform many aspects of endothelial cell biology.  Dr. Jones’ talk will focus on the various levels of organization that are informed by mechanotransduction in blood vessel physiology. Endothelial cells are not a single cell type but differ in their gene expression depending on whether they line an artery, a capillary or a vein. Her talk will explore how mechanical forces inform the definition of a cell as arterial or venous.  One of the most important responses to flow is the remodeling of the vascular network architecture through endothelial cell migration.  Dr. Jones’ work also explores how endothelial cells migrate in response to flow and how this translates a new steady state in the vascular network architecture.  Lastly, her work studies the interaction of matrix stiffness and mechanotransduction and how changes in stiffness can alter mechanotransduction, thereby also altering vascular network morphology.