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How deeply cells feel: methods for thin gels.

Amnon Buxboim1, Karthikan Rajagopal, Andre' E X Brown

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal
|May 11, 2010
PubMed
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Cells can sense the stiffness of their environment, even through soft materials. This study quanties how deeply cells feel into elastic gels, revealing a characteristic tactile length.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Cells possess sophisticated mechanisms to sense environmental stiffness, crucial for tissue function.
  • This mechanosensing ability extends to detecting underlying rigid substrates through compliant matrices.
  • Understanding cellular tactile perception is vital for tissue engineering and disease modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the depth to which cells sense matrix stiffness.
  • To determine the characteristic 'tactile length' of cells in varying elastic environments.
  • To investigate cell responses to underlying rigid surfaces through thin elastic gels.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of thin polyacrylamide gels with controlled elasticity (E) on rigid substrates.

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  • Utilizing vinyl-silane treatment to prevent gel wrinkling and detachment.
  • Employing confocal microscopy to measure gel swelling and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for surface elasticity measurements.
  • Assessing mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesive spreading on gels of varying thickness.

    • Main Results:

    • Cellular response to underlying substrate rigidity emerges at approximately 10-20 micrometers of gel thickness.
    • The characteristic tactile length of cells was determined to be less than 5 micrometers.
    • Mesenchymal stem cell spreading varied with gel elasticity, demonstrating sensitivity to matrix stiffness.

    Conclusions:

    • Cells exhibit a finite tactile length, influencing their perception of the microenvironment.
    • This tactile sensing mechanism is critical for cells to interpret the mechanical properties of surrounding tissues.
    • Findings provide insights into cell-matrix interactions and the development of biomimetic materials.