Cell elasticity with altered cytoskeletal architectures across multiple cell types.

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Cytoskeletal dynamics

Background:

• The cytoskeleton, composed of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments, provides structural support and facilitates intracellular transport.
• Cell elasticity is a critical biophysical property influenced by cytoskeletal components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distinct contributions of actin filaments and microtubules to cell elasticity across different cell types.
• To compare the mechanical properties of healthy and cancerous cell lines under cytoskeletal disruption.

Main Methods:

• Elastic stiffness was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
• Drug-induced cytoskeletal derangements were achieved using cytochalasin D (disrupts actin) and nocodazole (disrupts microtubules).
• Cytoskeletal disruption was confirmed via fluorescence microscopy in chondrocytes, fibroblasts, HUVECs, HUH-7, and HT 1080 cells.

Main Results:

• Cancer cell lines (HUH-7, HT 1080) exhibited significantly lower elastic moduli (~0.5 kPa) compared to healthy cells (~2 kPa).
• Disruption of actin filaments reduced elastic moduli by 60-80% in non-cancer cells, while microtubule disruption had no significant effect.
• Cancer cells showed increased stiffness and variability upon microtubule disruption with nocodazole.

Conclusions:

• Actin filaments play a more dominant role in determining cell elastic stiffness than microtubules, but this relationship is cell-type dependent.
• Microtubule disruption affects cancer cell elasticity, highlighting potential implications for microtubule-targeting therapies.