Mechanotransduction in development: a focus on angiogenesis

Cells respond to external mechanical cues and transduce these forces into biological signals. This process is known as mechanotransduction and requires a group of proteins called mechanosensors. This peculiar class of receptors include extracellular matrix proteins, plasma membrane proteins, the cytoskeleton and the nuclear envelope. These cell components are responsive to a wide spectrum of physical cues including stiffness, tensile force, hydrostatic pressure and shear stress. Among mechanotransducers, the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) and the PIEZO family members are mechanosensitive ion channels, coupling force transduction with intracellular cation transport. Their activity contributes to embryo development, tissue remodeling and repair, and cell homeostasis. In particular, vessel development is driven by hemodynamic cues such as flow direction and shear stress. Perturbed mechanotransduction is involved in several pathological vascular phenotypes including hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. This review is conceived to summarize the most recent findings of mechanotransduction in development. We first collected main features of mechanosensitive proteins. However, we focused on the role of mechanical cues during development. Mechanosensitive ion channels and their function in vascular development are also discussed, with a focus on brain vessel morphogenesis.