Nuclear mechanotransduction: tools for mechanical perturbation and chromatin characterization

Mechanical cues, ranging from matrix mechanical properties to dynamic mechanical loading, can be transmitted via structural proteins and signaling molecules to the nucleus to reorganize nuclear architecture and modulate chromatin accessibility. This mechanical regulation plays an important role in tissue regeneration and disease development. To gain deeper insights into the mechanical regulation of chromatin organization, it is essential to develop technologies that can apply mechanical inputs and characterize the resulting changes in nuclear structure and chromatin organization. Here, we review multidisciplinary technologies and tools that enable mechanical perturbation of the nucleus and the characterization of nuclear and chromatin responses. We highlight how perturbations such as matrix topography, confinement, stiffness, viscoelasticity, and dynamic loading can be used to apply mechanical cues to cells. We also discuss how imaging-based techniques, sequencing platforms, and computational approaches can be integrated to characterize nuclear architecture and chromatin organization in response to these mechanical stimuli.