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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy

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Published on: August 24, 2016

The constitutive equation for membrane tether extraction.

Yong Chen¹, Da-Kang Yao, Jin-Yu Shao

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

Annals of Biomedical Engineering

|July 9, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a new constitutive equation for membrane nanotube formation, improving our understanding of cellular processes like leukocyte rolling. The new model accurately describes tether extraction dynamics, including a novel threshold force measurement.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Materials Science

Background:

Membrane tethers and nanotubes are vital for cellular functions like leukocyte adhesion and intercellular transport.
Existing models for tether extraction lack accuracy in describing key physical phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel phenomenological constitutive equation for membrane nanotube formation.
To provide a unified framework for understanding tether extraction physics and its physiological roles.

Main Methods:

Utilized the micropipette aspiration technique to extract membrane tethers from endothelial cells.
Measured tether pulling forces across a range of velocities, including positive and negative values.
Experimentally determined the threshold force for nanotube formation.

Main Results:

Proposed a new constitutive equation that accounts for nonlinearity and a nonzero threshold force.
Identified a threshold force of 55 pN for membrane tether formation.
The new equation integrates previous models, offering a more comprehensive description.

Conclusions:

The developed constitutive equation offers a more accurate representation of membrane tether dynamics.
This work enhances the understanding of leukocyte rolling and intercellular transport mechanisms.
Provides a unified platform for studying membrane tether growth and retraction physics.