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Traction force transmission via bioactive matrix hydrogel promotes epithelial collective migration mediated by integrin
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  • Published: 18 February 2026

Traction force transmission via bioactive matrix hydrogel promotes epithelial collective migration mediated by integrin

  • Mingxing Ouyang1 na1,
  • Yu Cao1,2 na1,
  • Hui Sheng1,2,
  • Hongjie Liu1,2,
  • Lei Liu1,
  • Chunmei Li1,
  • Bing Bu1 &
  • …
  • Linhong Deng1 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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Subjects

  • Biological techniques
  • Biophysics
  • Biotechnology
  • Cell biology
  • Engineering

Abstract

Mechanical communications provide physical views to understand cell physiologies at large scale. Cell collective migration occurs often in vivo, of which the role of matrix tension force is largely unknown. Here to mimic in vivo conditions, we applied collective migration of renal epithelial MDCK cells on elastic matrix hydrogel containing bioactive materials of 50% Matrigel and 1 mg/mL type I collagen. MDCK cells were engineered with stable expression of ERK FRET (fluorescence energy resonance transfer) biosensor in regarding of ERK sensitivity in cell mechanical response. The results showed that matrix traction force derived from cells-generated contraction promoted epithelial sheet migration with higher ERK activity at the move front. Hydrogel crosslinking by glutaraldehyde blocked matrix traction transmission and then reduced ERK and epithelial collective migration. Integrin inhibition dramatically reduced collective migration but not local cell moving velocities, indicating integrin acting with mechanotransduction role at cells-hydrogel interface in orienting migration direction. Further experiments demonstrated that matrix traction force relied on activations of cellular mechanosensitive calcium channels, and ERK signal in promoting collective migration. In conclusion, matrix tension force derived from cell contractions facilitates epithelial collective migration through activating cellular mechanosensitive signals, in which integrin acts as mechanical transducer. This work highlights the role of matrix traction force in wound healing and tissue engineering.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The experiments were assisted by lab technicians Yan Pan, and Jingjing Li (Changzhou University). The cartoon Figure 7 was illustrated by Dr. Yang Jin (Chongqing University).

Funding

This work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 12372312), and Project of “Jiangsu Specially-appointed Professor” (M.O.); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 12272063) (L.D.).

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  1. Mingxing Ouyang and Yu Cao contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, School of Medical and Health Engineering, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Rd, Wujin District, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, China

    Mingxing Ouyang, Yu Cao, Hui Sheng, Hongjie Liu, Lei Liu, Chunmei Li, Bing Bu & Linhong Deng

  2. School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yu Cao, Hui Sheng & Hongjie Liu

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Contributions

Y.C. performed the major experiments and data analysis; M.O., Y.C. and L.D. designed the experiments and carried the data organization; H.S., H.L., L.L., C.L. and B.B. provided technical helps and discussion; L.D. provided the setups of equipment; M.O., Y.C. and L.D. prepared the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mingxing Ouyang or Linhong Deng.

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Ouyang, M., Cao, Y., Sheng, H. et al. Traction force transmission via bioactive matrix hydrogel promotes epithelial collective migration mediated by integrin. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39048-8

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  • Received: 17 November 2025

  • Accepted: 02 February 2026

  • Published: 18 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39048-8

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Keywords

  • Epithelial collective migration
  • Cell mechanical communications
  • Matrix traction force
  • Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
  • ERK
  • Integrin
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