Mesenchymal stem cell-induced 3D displacement field of cell-adhesion matrices with differing elasticities

Cells maintain homeostasis and perform various functions by interacting mechanically with a cell-adhesive matrix. Regarding cellular differentiation, it has been found that matrix elasticity can determine the differentiation lineage of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Direct quantitative measurements of the mechanical interaction between MSCs and matrix for differentiation, however, have yet to be reported. Herein, the displacement field of the cell-adhesive matrix was observed quantitatively using a digital volume correlation (DVC) method. Maximum displacement and cellular traction stress were analyzed when the MSC differentiated into a neuron-like cell or an osteoblast-like cell on a soft or hard elastic matrix, respectively. The function of non-muscle myosin II (NMM II), which plays an important role in intracellular cytoskeletal dynamics, was investigated during cellular differentiation. The mechanical interaction (maximum displacement and subjected area of the matrix) between the cell and matrix was dependent on matrix elasticity. It has also been shown that the mechanical interaction between the intracellular cytoskeleton and cell-adhesion matrix is indispensable for cellular differentiation. This work provides the first quantitative visualization of the mechanical interaction between MSCs and the cell-adhesion matrix for differentiation.