Nuclear Positioning and Its Translational Dynamics Are Regulated by Cell Geometry

The collective activity of several molecular motors and other active processes generate large forces for directional motion within the cell, which is vital for a multitude of cellular functions such as migration, division, contraction, transport, and positioning of various organelles. These processes also generate a background of fluctuating forces, which influence intracellular dynamics and thereby create unique biophysical signatures, which are altered in many diseases. In this study, we have used the nucleus as a probe particle to understand the microrheological properties of altered intracellular environments by using micropatterning to confine cells in two structurally and functionally extreme geometries.

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