Starvation effect on the morphology of microvilli in HeLa cells

Microvilli are membrane protrusions enabling the increase of the cell surface area by over hundreds fold, thereby enhancing nutrition absorption. However, the correlation between the morphology of the microvilli and absorption capability of cells remains elusive. Herein, by combining atomic force microscopy with fluorescence microscopy, we explored the effects of starvation on the morphology of microvilli in HeLa cells at the single cell level. We found that there is an increasing signal of dextran absorption after starvation, and importantly, we observed a significant increase in the number of single microvillus and the lamella-shaped microvilli on the surface of HeLa cells. In addition, we also found reversible changes in the morphology of microvilli under starvation stress and after relief from starvation. These phenomena indicate that the morphology of the microvilli plays a crucial role in absorption capacity of HeLa cells. Our finding provides direct evidence for comprehensive understanding the function of microvilli.