Regulation of mechanotransduction: Emerging roles for septins

Abstract

Cells exist in dynamic three-dimensional environments where they experience variable mechanical forces due to their interaction with the extracellular matrix, neighbouring cells and physical stresses. The ability to constantly and rapidly alter cellular behaviour in response to the mechanical environment is therefore crucial for cell viability, tissue development and homeostasis. Mechanotransduction is the process whereby cells translate mechanical inputs into biochemical signals. These signals in turn adjust cell morphology and cellular functions as diverse as proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of mechanotransduction and how septins may participate in it, drawing on their architecture and localization, their ability to directly bind and modify actomyosin networks and membranes, and their associations with the nuclear envelope.