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Related Concept Videos

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

When a body is in motion, it encounters resistance because the body interacts with its surroundings. This resistance is known as friction, a common yet complex force whose behavior is still not completely understood. Friction opposes relative motion between systems in contact, but also allows us to move. Friction arises in part due to the roughness of surfaces in contact. For one object to move along a surface, it must rise to where the peaks of the surface can skip along the bottom of the...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.

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Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
12:26

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

Published on: January 29, 2022

Friction-controlled traction force in cell adhesion.

Tilo Pompe1, Martin Kaufmann, Maria Kasimir

  • 1Universität Leipzig, Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig, Germany. tilo.pompe@uni-leipzig.de

Biophysical Journal
|October 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell adhesion is controlled by friction between cell ligands and substrates. This mechanism regulates cellular traction force and influences cell fate, impacting cell development in vitro and in vivo.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Cell fate is determined by the interplay between the extracellular microenvironment and the intracellular cytoskeleton.
  • Cell adhesion plays a critical role in this process, but the precise mechanisms of force regulation are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a novel mechanism of receptor force control in cell adhesion.
  • To explore the role of friction between cell adhesion ligands and the substrate in regulating cellular traction force.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental study of adherent human endothelial cells on polymer substrates coated with fibronectin (FN).
  • Utilized fluorescent-labeled FN to track its mobility during cell-driven FN fibrillogenesis.
  • Developed a mechanistic two-dimensional model to analyze load transfer at focal adhesion sites.

Main Results:

  • Cellular traction force was found to correlate with the mobility of FN.
  • Myosin motor activity and FN ligand sliding on the substrate were identified as key factors controlling traction force.
  • Demonstrated a new mechanism of receptor force control originating from ligand-substrate friction.

Conclusions:

  • Friction between adhesion ligands and the supporting substrate is a crucial factor in mechanotransduction.
  • This friction mechanism plays a significant role in the development and behavior of adherent cells.
  • The findings provide new insights into how cells sense and respond to their physical environment.