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Force Spectroscopy of Single Protein Molecules Using an Atomic Force Microscope
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Nonlinear Cellular Mechanical Behavior Adaptation to Substrate Mechanics Identified by Atomic Force Microscope.

Keyvan Mollaeian1, Yi Liu2, Siyu Bi3

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA. keyvanm@iastate.edu.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|November 8, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Living cells adapt their mechanical properties, including stiffness and viscosity, to match the substrate they adhere to. This adaptation, involving the actin cytoskeleton, is crucial for understanding cellular mechanotransduction.

Keywords:
Atomic Force Microscopecell mechanics adaptationcytoskeletonsubstrate mechanics

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Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Living Cells Using Atomic Force Microscopy
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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Cell-substrate interactions are vital for cell function and are regulated by substrate mechanics.
  • Previous research primarily focused on substrate stiffness, neglecting its impact on cell mechanics' time and length scales.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for advancing cellular mechanotransduction knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how substrate mechanics influence the nonlinear biomechanical behavior of living cells.
  • To explore the adaptation of cellular mechanical properties and F-actin cytoskeleton structure in response to substrate properties.
  • To elucidate the relationship between substrate mechanics and cellular mechanotransduction.

Main Methods:

  • Indentation-based atomic force microscopy was employed to probe cellular mechanics.
  • Cells were cultured on substrates with varying mechanical properties.
  • Fluorescent staining of actin filaments (F-actin) was used to analyze cytoskeleton structure.

Main Results:

  • Living cells demonstrated adaptation to substrate mechanics, altering Young's modulus, shear modulus, and apparent viscosity.
  • Cellular nonlinearities in mechanical properties adjusted to the nonlinear mechanics of the substrates.
  • A consistent positive correlation between cellular poroelasticity and indentation was observed, more pronounced on softer substrates.
  • Substrate properties were found to regulate intracellular structure, specifically the F-actin cytoskeleton.

Conclusions:

  • Living cells actively sense and adapt their biomechanical properties to the mechanical characteristics of their substrate.
  • Substrate mechanics influence cell mechanics by modulating the intracellular F-actin cytoskeleton structure.
  • This study provides critical insights into cellular mechanotransduction by detailing the adaptive responses of cell mechanics to substrate properties.