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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
11:21
Bioparticle Microarrays for Chemotactic and Molecular Analysis of Human Neutrophil Swarming in vitro
Published on: February 16, 2020
Neutrophil morphology and migration are affected by substrate elasticity
Patrick W Oakes1, Dipan C Patel, Nicole A Morin
1Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Blood
|June 4, 2009
Summary
Neutrophils sense and respond to tissue stiffness, migrating more persistently on stiffer substrates. This mechanosensing involves phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, crucial for neutrophil inflammatory responses.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Immunology
Background:
- Neutrophils migrate through diverse microenvironments during inflammation.
- Tissue mechanical properties vary and can influence cell behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how substrate stiffness affects neutrophil adhesion, spreading, and migration.
- To elucidate the role of mechanosensing in neutrophil responses.
Main Methods:
- Utilized polyacrylamide gels with physiologically relevant elasticities (5-100 kPa) coated with fibronectin.
- Quantified neutrophil adhesion, spreading, migration speed, and persistence on substrates of varying stiffness.
- Measured substrate distortions and traction stresses generated by neutrophils.
- Investigated the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) using the inhibitor LY294002.
Main Results:
- Neutrophil spreading increased significantly with substrate stiffness.
- Traction stresses were larger on stiffer substrates, localized to the cell posterior.
- Neutrophils migrated slower but more persistently on stiffer substrates, covering greater distances.
- PI3K inhibition abolished substrate stiffness sensing.
Conclusions:
- Neutrophil migration and adhesion are modulated by substrate mechanical properties.
- Neutrophils generate larger traction forces on stiffer matrices.
- Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is essential for neutrophil mechanosensing of substrate stiffness.
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