Torsional and translational vibrations of a eukaryotic nucleus, and the prospect of vibrational mechanotransduction and therapy

Certain eukaryotic cells are believed to sense and respond to vibrational stimuli that are too small even to be transduced by mechanosensitive ion channels. One possible mechanism of signal amplification and transduction is torsional and translational resonance of the nucleus, the stiffest and densest organelle in a eukaryotic cell. To explore this possibility, we developed a theoretical model that analyzes the natural frequencies of torsional and translational vibrations of the nucleus. The model predicts that the natural frequency for torsional vibration is dependent upon cytoskeletal contractility, while that for translational vibration is dependent upon cytoskeletal stiffness. Further analysis across many species and cell types suggests that, for most eukaryotic cells, torsional vibration is the dominant form of nuclear response to higher frequency stimuli, providing a new potential mechanism for frequency-based mechanotransduction.