Figure 6.

Fibre alignment and densification provide a mechanism for long-range cell mechanosensing. Mechanical interactions between cells are simulated using the FE model with a contracting circle and a symmetric boundary (dashed line). Plots show tensile (a) and compressive (b) strains within fibres. Fibres under tension (a) form intercellular tethers. Compressed fibres (b) are roughly perpendicular to tensile ones. The strains below the dashed line are the reflection of the strains above the dashed line.