Multiple Roles for Myosin II in Tensional Homeostasis Under Mechanical Loading

Cyclic stretching of adherent cells regulates cell morphology, signal transduction and cell function. It is well established that actin stress fibers are mechano-sensitive structural elements that reorganize in response to applied stress and strain. In this review, we discuss studies revealing the roles of myosin II in stress fiber remodeling including stress fiber assembly, disassembly, and tension maintenance. The results of these studies are interpreted with mathematical models that describe a mechanism by which stress fibers reorganize in response to cyclic stretch and predict how changes in stress fiber tension regulate signal transduction dependent on the spatial and temporal patterns of the applied strain.