Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

NESPRIN2G-DEPENDENT MECHANOTRANSDUCTION AND MUSCLE STEM CELL FUNCTION.

Muscle stem cells are primarily responsible for muscle regeneration. These cells rely on their microenvironment for signals, including changes in mechanical stimuli like muscle stretching, which impact their cellular state and function. The nucleus, through the nuclear membrane complex, translates these external forces into genetic modifications. Mutations of proteins within this complex, such as nesprins, are linked to muscular dystrophies. So, using a C-terminal truncated Nesprin-2 Giant (SYNE2cpfl8-/-) mutant, we study how the disruption of continuous propagation of mechanical stimuli to the nucleus affects muscle stem cells. We observed that this led to a shift in the cellular state towards a more activated state and an altered heterochromatin state. In this study, I am investigating how these changes affect stem cell function by inducing muscle injury and assessing its regenerative potential. This study hopes to investigate the interplay between mechanotransduction-regulated genetic changes and stem cell function in associated disorders and aging.