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Multiple membrane tethers probed by atomic force microscopy.

Mingzhai Sun1, John S Graham, Balazs Hegedüs

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|September 27, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Researchers used atomic force microscopy to study cell membranes, discovering that they can form multiple interdependent tethers. This finding reveals insights into cell mechanics and their interaction with the environment.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane biophysics

Background:

  • Cell membranes exhibit complex mechanical properties.
  • Understanding cell membrane behavior is crucial for cell-environment interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the formation and properties of membrane tethers using atomic force microscopy.
  • To explore the heterogeneity of cell membrane properties.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to locally probe individual cells.
  • Pulling forces and lengths of membrane tethers were measured.
  • The effects of actin cytoskeleton disruption and glycocalyx modification were assessed.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Multiple tethers formed reproducibly across different cell types (CHO, brain tumor, endothelial) with similar pulling forces (~28-29 pN).
  • Significant variation in tether forces indicated heterogeneity in membrane properties.
  • Disrupting the actin cytoskeleton and glycocalyx reduced tether force magnitude and heterogeneity.

    • Conclusions:

    • The plasma membrane can generate multiple interdependent tethers.
    • These tethers may play a role in cellular mechanical associations.
    • Membrane tether formation is influenced by the cytoskeleton and glycocalyx.