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Published on: February 17, 2022
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Measurement of Minute Cellular Forces by Traction Force Microscopy
1Department of Molecular biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. v_jaumouille@sfu.ca.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|February 26, 2022
Summary
This study presents a simple protocol for measuring cell-exerted forces using traction force microscopy. This method quantifies forces cells apply to their environment, crucial for understanding biological processes.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cells exert forces on their environment, influencing biological processes like tissue development and immune responses.
- Quantifying these cellular forces is essential for understanding cell mechanics and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a straightforward protocol for measuring forces exerted by living cells.
- To enable researchers to quantify cellular forces using accessible microscopy techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes traction force microscopy (TFM) to measure cell-generated forces.
- Employs fluorescent fiducials to detect substrate deformation caused by cellular forces.
- Adaptable for use with widefield or confocal fluorescence microscopes and open-source software.
Main Results:
- Provides a step-by-step protocol for measuring forces exerted by focal adhesions on fibronectin-coated substrates.
- Demonstrates the versatility of the TFM approach for various cellular force-generating processes.
Conclusions:
- The described traction force microscopy protocol offers a simple and adaptable method for quantifying cellular forces.
- This technique can be applied to diverse biological contexts, including immunological synapse and phagocytic cup formation.
