Matrix Stiffness-Encoded Mechanical Memory Maintains Proliferative Dominance in Metastatic Tumors

Abstract

Primary and metastatic lesions share similar biological properties despite existing in different microenvironments. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of phenotypic homogeneity in heterogeneous microenvironments could help identify strategies for suppressing metastasis. Here, we found that mechanical memory enabled tumor cells to resist biomechanical stress and sustain malignant traits. Matrix stiffness activated the RhoA-ROCK1 signaling pathway, leading to actin cytoskeletal remodeling and suppression of mitochondrial fission. The dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation, leading to the accumulation of acetyl-CoA and subsequent histone hyperacetylation. The stiffness-mediated epigenetic reprogramming was mitotically heritable, allowing progeny cells to retain a proliferative advantage after detachment from stiff environments. Inhibition of RhoA-ROCK1 disrupted mechanical memory, thereby reducing metastasis. These findings suggest that targeting mechanical memory may be a strategy for preventing metastasis.