Microscopy methods to visualize nuclear organization in biomechanical studies

Abstract

The mechanical environment plays an important role in influencing cell identity. The nucleus's organization and mechanical state are essential regulators of cellular function. However, open questions remain about the mechanisms underlying how the physical microenvironment influences nuclear mechanics and organization to drive specific transcriptional and epigenetic shifts. Understanding how biophysical cues change cell behavior provides groundwork to improve medical technologies such as tissue engineering, stem cell therapy, and mitigation of aberrant cell behavior. Microscopy is an indispensable tool that noninvasively explores the cell's nuclear state, providing valuable measurements on features including nuclear morphology, nuclear mechanical properties, protein localization, and genomic organization. In this review, we discuss notable imaging techniques, such as super-resolution microscopy, examples of how they have recently advanced the field, and how they can further our knowledge of the interplay between nuclear mechanoregulation and cell function.