Myoblast Choreographic Alignment

The alignment of spindle-shaped cells is crucial for
physiological
processes, such as muscle regeneration and tissue engineering. Despite
their importance, the underlying mechanisms that govern this alignment
remain poorly understood. In this study, we explore the collective
motion and alignment of C2C12 myoblasts, cells essential for muscle
regeneration, across a range of cell densities and substrate stiffness.
Contrary to the conventional view that C2C12 cells exhibit weak cell–cell
adhesion, leading to uncoordinated motion, our study shows that these
cells demonstrate anisotropic adhesion properties. Specifically, cells
connected longitudinally by nanoscale focal adherens junctions (FAJs)
exhibit strong adhesion, whereas those connected laterally by nanoscale
linear adherens junctions (LAJs) display weak adhesion. The interplay
between these molecular junctions facilitates spontaneous alignment,
even beyond confluence, contributing to the formation of multinucleated
myotubes. Moreover, we show that softer substrates reduce the level
of C2C12 cell alignment, emphasizing the role of extracellular environments
in regulating cell behavior. These insights into the alignment dynamics
of C2C12 myoblasts advance our understanding of contractile cell behavior
and offer valuable contributions to the fields of muscle regeneration,
tissue engineering, and cellular biomechanics.