Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

3.3K
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...
3.3K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

3.4K
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...
3.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cell adhesion and spreading on fluid membranes through microtubules-dependent mechanotransduction.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Erratum: Fluctuations and Shape Dependence of Microphase Separation in Systems with Long-Range Interactions [Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 258401 (2023)].

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Mechanosensitivity of phase separation in an elastic gel.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2024
Same author

Fluctuations and Shape Dependence of Microphase Separation in Systems with Long-Range Interactions.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Scaling perspectives of underscreening in concentrated electrolyte solutions.

Soft matter·2023
Same author

Volume regulation in adhered cells: Roles of surface tension and cell swelling.

Biophysical journal·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Construction and Characterization of a Novel Vocal Fold Bioreactor
11:11

Construction and Characterization of a Novel Vocal Fold Bioreactor

Published on: August 1, 2014

9.5K

Active volume regulation in adhered cells.

Ram M Adar1,2, Samuel A Safran3

  • 1Physicochimie Curie (CNRS-UMR168), Institut Curie Section Recherche, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France; ram.adar@curie.fr sam.safran@weizmann.ac.il.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 6, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell volume decreases as adhered cells spread, driven by mechanical and electrostatic equilibrium. Increased cell area leads to ion release, explaining this volume regulation.

Keywords:
adhered cellscell electrostaticscell mechanicscell volumeion channels and ion pumps

More Related Videos

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers
06:46

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers

Published on: June 24, 2020

9.0K
Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System
11:04

Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System

Published on: October 16, 2013

12.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Construction and Characterization of a Novel Vocal Fold Bioreactor
11:11

Construction and Characterization of a Novel Vocal Fold Bioreactor

Published on: August 1, 2014

9.5K
Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers
06:46

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers

Published on: June 24, 2020

9.0K
Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System
11:04

Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System

Published on: October 16, 2013

12.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Physical chemistry

Background:

  • Adhered cells exhibit reduced volume with increased basal area.
  • Cell spreading involves significant volume decrease and pressure changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To theoretically explain the volume regulation of adhered cells.
  • To link cell spreading to changes in ionic content and electrostatic equilibrium.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a minimal theoretical model for cell volume regulation.
  • Incorporated mechanical and generalized Donnan equilibrium.
  • Analyzed active ion transport and its effect on cell volume.

Main Results:

  • Predicted ion release from cells with increasing basal area, explaining volume-area dependence.
  • Demonstrated a universal master volume-area curve for different cell types.
  • Accurately captured cell osmotic pressure based on protein and ion content.

Conclusions:

  • Cell volume regulation is governed by mechanical and active ion transport-driven electrostatic equilibria.
  • The model provides a mesoscale framework for understanding adhered cell mechanics.
  • Findings can predict osmotic pressure in both adhered and suspended cells.