Kinesin-Driven Active Substrate Giving Stochastic Mechanical Stimuli to Cells for Characterization

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Cells encounter stochastic mechanical stimuli from their environment during biological processes.
• Understanding cellular responses to these stimuli is crucial for fields like cancer research and regenerative medicine.
• Current knowledge on the impact of nano- and micrometer-scale mechanical noise on cell behavior is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel platform for applying controlled, stochastic mechanical stimuli to cells in vitro.
• To investigate the effects of these stimuli on cell morphology, movement, and aggregation.
• To explore the potential of this platform for uncovering new cellular behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Engineered a kinesin-microtubule (MT) system on a solid surface to generate nano- and micrometer-scale fluctuations.
• Created an active substrate by cross-linking MTs on a kinesin-coated glass surface.
• Applied stochastic mechanical stimuli to seeded cells and observed their responses using in vitro motility assays.

Main Results:

• Successfully applied cell-scale stochastic mechanical stimuli using the engineered kinesin-MT system.
• Observed significant cell body protrusions and extensions in metastatic melanoma cells exposed to stimuli.
• Noted promotion of cellular aggregation due to altered cell movement and collisions on the active substrate.

Conclusions:

• The developed platform enables the application of noise-like mechanical stimuli to cells, offering a new tool for cell characterization.
• Stochastic mechanical stimuli can significantly influence cell morphology and behavior, including promoting aggregation.
• This approach holds promise for advancing research in cancer diagnosis and regenerative medicine by elucidating the mechanical nature of cells.