Role of Actin Filaments in Correlating Nuclear Shape and Cell Spreading
Figure 12
Schematic showing how nuclear compression helps in cell spreading.
Flattening the nucleus by perinuclear stress fibers (also see [12]), or an external load as in the case of lens experiment, allows the cell to spread to a greater extent. In the absence of such a compressive loading of the nucleus, the nucleus exerts an upwards force on the cell cortex which constraints cell spreading due to balance of adhesive and elastic forces as elaborated in the text.