Jean-Jacques Meister

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Cell morphology is controlled in part by physical forces. If the main mechanical properties of cells have been identified and quantitated, the question remains of how the cell structure specifically contributes to these properties. In this context, we addressed the issue of whether cell rheology was altered during cell spreading, taken as a fundamental morphological change. On the experimental side, we used a novel dual micromanipulation system. Individual chick fibroblasts were allowed to spread for varyin

In rat mesenteric arteries, smooth muscle cells exhibit intercellular calcium waves in response to local phenylephrine stimulation. These waves have a velocity of similar to 20 cells/s and a range of similar to 80 cells. We analyze these waves in a theoret ...

The mechanical interaction between adherent cells and their substrate relies on the formation of adhesion sites and on the stabilization of contractile acto-myosin bundles, or stress fibers. The shape of the cell and the orientation of these fibers can be ...

A theoretical model describing the attachment and cytoskeletal coupling of microspheres to the dorsal surface of motile cells was developed. Integral membrane receptors beneath a ligand-coated microsphere are allowed to be either free, attached to the microsphere, bound to the rearward moving actin network, or linked to both the bead and the cytoskeleton, and to switch between these four states. The binding transitions being modeled as chemical reactions governed by rate constants taken from literature, the

Accurate extraction of cell outlines from microscopy images is essential for analysing the dynamics of migrating cells. Phase-contrast microscopy is one of the most common and convenient imaging modalities for observing cell motility because it does not re ...

Reasons for the continuing difficulty in making definitive measurements of pulse wave attenuation in elastic tubes and arteries in the presence of reflections are sought. The measurement techniques available were re-examined in elastic tubes mimicking the arterial compliance nonlinearity, under conditions of strong reflection. The pulse was of physiological shape, and two different pulse amplitudes in the physiological range were used. Measurements of pressure, flow-rate and diameter pulsation allowed the d

We present a new type of microinstrument allowing manipulation and mechanical perturbation of individual cells under an optical microscope. These instruments, which we call microplates, are pulled from rectangular glass bars. They have flat tips, typically 2 microm thick x 20 microm wide, whose specific shape and stiffness can be adjusted through the pulling protocol. After appropriate chemical treatment, microplates can support cell adhesion and/or spreading. Rigid microplates are used to hold cells, where

Myofibroblasts promote tissue contractures during fibrotic diseases. To understand how spontaneous changes in the intracellular calcium concentration, Ca2+, contribute to myofibroblast contraction, we analysed both Ca2+ and subcellular contractio ...

The non-linear elastic response of arteries implies that their mechanical properties depend strongly on blood pressure. Thus, dynamic measurements of both the diameter and pressure curves over the whole cardiac cycle are necessary to characterise properly the elastic behaviour of an artery. We propose a novel method of estimating these mechanical properties based on the analysis of the arterial diameter against pressure curves derived from ultrasonic and photoplethysmographic measurements. An ultrasonic ech

Cytosolic-free [Ca2+] was evaluated in freshly dissociated smooth muscle cells from mouse thoracic aorta by the ratio of Fura Red and Fluo 4 emitted fluorescence using confocal microscopy. The role of intercellular communication in forming and shaping ATP-elicited responses was demonstrated. Extracellular ATP (250 microM) elicited [Ca2+]i transient responses, sustained [Ca2+]i rise, periodic [Ca2+]i oscillations and aperiodic repetitive [Ca2+]i transients. Quantity of smooth muscle cells in the preparation

Seven classic and recently proposed methods used for the estimation of total arterial compliance have been evaluated for their accuracy and applicability in different physiological conditions. The pressure and flow data are taken from a computer model that provides realistic simulations of the nonlinear-distributed systemic arterial tree. Besides the great flexibility in simulating different physiological or pathological cases, the major advantage of the computer model is that it allows precise knowledge of

Interactions of cell adhesions, Rho GTPases and actin in the endothelial cells' response to external forces are complex and not fully understood, but a qualitative understanding of the mechanosensory response begins to emerge. Here, we formulate a mathematical model of the coupled dynamics of cell adhesions, small GTPases Rac and Rho and actin stress fibers guiding a directional reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. The model is based on the assumptions that the interconnected cytoskeleton transfers the

Smooth muscle contraction is regulated by changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+). In response to stimulation, Ca2+ increase in a single cell can propagate to neighbouring cells through gap junctions, as intercellular Ca2+ waves. To investigate ...

Smooth muscle and endothelial cells in the arterial wall are exposed to mechanical stress. Indeed blood flow induces intraluminal pressure variations and shear stress. An increase in pressure may induce a vessel contraction, a phenomenon known as the myoge ...

Blood flow patterns in the coronary arteries are of interest due to their possible involvement in atherosclerosis localization. Spatial variations in hemodynamic flow patterns are predominantly determined by the vessel geometry. The coronary arteries represent a unique situation in the cardiovascular system because their geometry undergoes large dynamic variations during each cardiac cycle due to the contraction of the heart. This study was initiated to analyze the effects of time-varying curvature on flow

Hemodynamic forces affect endothelial cell morphology and function. In particular, circumferential cyclic stretch of blood vessels, due to pressure changes during the cardiac cycle, is known to affect the endothelial cell shape, mediating the alignment of the cells in the direction perpendicular to stretch. This change in cell shape proceeds a drastic reorganization at the internal level. The cellular scaffolding, mainly composed of actin filaments, reorganize in the direction which later becomes the cell's

Neoformation of intercellular adherens junctions accompanies the differentiation of fibroblasts into contractile myofibroblasts, a key event during development of fibrosis and in wound healing. We have previously shown that intercellular mechanical couplin ...

A stretch chamber has been developed in order to visualize the deformation of cells subjected to controlled uniaxial stretch of their substrate. A rectangular, custom-made, transparent silicone channel is used as a deformable substrate. Bovine aortic endothelial cells are plated at the bottom of the channel whose lateral deformation is controlled by two piezoelectric translators. The system is mounted on the stage of a confocal microscope where three-dimensional (3D) images of the cells can be acquired simu

A new method for the separation of forward and backward running waves in elastic conduits, with possible extension to the arterial system, has been developed. The mathematical model is based on the one-dimensional flow equations which allow the treatment of non-periodic or transient pressure and flow pulses. The method is fully nonlinear, i.e. no linearizing assumptions are made. The method includes the effects of convective acceleration and pressure-dependent vessel compliance. A first approximation for th

Dynamic actin network at the leading edge of the cell is linked to the extracellular matrix through focal adhesions (FAs), and at the same time it undergoes retrograde flow with different dynamics in two distinct zones: the lamellipodium (peripheral zone o ...

Jean-Jacques Meister

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Changes in the mechanical properties of fibroblasts during spreading: a micromanipulation study

Mechanisms of Propagation of Intercellular Calcium Waves in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells

Cell Shape Dynamics Reveal Balance of Elasticity and Contractility in Peripheral Arcs

A probabilistic model for ligand-cytoskeleton transmembrane adhesion: predicting the behavior of microspheres on the surface of migrating cells

High-resolution cell outline segmentation and tracking from phase-contrast microscopy images

Pulse wave attenuation measurement by linear and nonlinear methods in nonlinearly elastic tubes

Microplates: a new tool for manipulation and mechanical perturbation of individual cells

A New Lock-step Mechanism of Matrix Remodelling Based on Subcellular Contractile Events

Non-invasive estimate of the mechanical properties of peripheral arteries from ultrasonic and photoplethysmographic measurements

Intercellular communication: role of gap junctions in establishing the pattern of ATP-elicited Ca2+ oscillations and Ca2+-dependent currents in freshly isolated aortic smooth muscle cells

Evaluation of methods for estimation of total arterial compliance

Model of coupled transient changes of Rac, Rho, adhesions and stress fibers alignment in endothelial cells responding to shear stress

Propagation of fast and slow intercellular Ca2+ waves in primary cultured arterial smooth muscle cells

Effects of arterial wall stress on vasomotion

The effects of time-varying curvature on velocity profiles in a model of the coronary arteries

Modeling actin filament reorganization in endothelial cells subjected to cyclic stretch

Myofibroblast communication is controlled by intercellular mechanical coupling

Assessment of strain field in endothelial cells subjected to uniaxial deformation of their substrate

Nonlinear separation of forward and backward running waves in elastic conduits

Comparative dynamics of retrograde actin flow and focal adhesions: formation of nascent adhesions triggers transition from fast to slow flow