Mechanotransduction of stem cells for tendon repair

Figure 2 Signaling pathways responding to mechanical stimuli applied to a cell. This figure describes how mechanosensors, such as G-protein coupled receptors, integrins, ion channels, and growth factor receptor, sense mechanical loading and activate a series of signaling pathways downstream, in turn promoting gene expression and/or cytoskeleton rearrangement in tendon repair. ECM: Extracellular matrix; ROR: Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor; GPCRs: G-protein coupled receptors; GFRs: Growth factor receptor; JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinase; ROCK: Rho-associated protein kinase; ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase; YAP: Yes-associated protein; TAZ: PDZ-binding motif.