-treated livers. Then, we evaluated the protein expression levels of MRTcoF in primary hepatocytes (PH) cultured on tissue culture petri dishes (TCPD). After culture, we observed upregulation of MRTcoF, and downregulation of TAZ after protein increase. Interestingly, despite the increase in MRTFB protein levels, no accumulation of MRTFB was detected in the nucleus. Culture on soft polyacrylamide hydrogels (PAA HGs) attenuated the activation of MRTcoF, having specific implications in the transcriptional regulation of target genes. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of MRTcoF was not sufficient to halt transcriptional regulation. In summary, a progressive increase of stiffness activates MRTcoF transcriptional complexes in hepatocytes, suggesting a key role of mechano-transduction during liver fibrosis.
Torres‐Ortiz et al. (Mon,) studied this question.