Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

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...

Mechanical Protein Functions

Mechanical Protein Functions

Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force.

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Performance of large language models in neonatal resuscitation assessments versus healthcare providers: an exploratory study.

Frontiers in artificial intelligence·2026

Same author

Feasibility and challenges of large language model (LLM)-generated neonatal resuscitation simulations: a multicenter exploratory study.

Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine·2026

Same author

Immunogenicity of mRNA encoded MUC1 glycopeptides toward CAR-T cells.

European journal of cell biology·2026

Same author

Endoscopic submucosal tunneling resection via a transantral approach for duodenal bulb gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Endoscopy·2026

Same author

Optimizing microvascular decompression for venous compression in trigeminal neuralgia: clinical outcomes and technical considerations.

Neurological research·2026

Same author

Multidisciplinary blinded randomized expert evaluation of large language models for clinical diagnosis and management.

Communications medicine·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2025

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Published on: July 23, 2020

Traction Force Microscopy for Studying B Lymphocyte Mechanosensing.

Yue Xu^1,2, Chun Yang³, Yingyue Zeng⁴

¹State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Institute for Immunology, China Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|March 3, 2025

Summary

This study details how B lymphocytes use myosin II-mediated traction forces to distinguish antigen properties during activation. It provides optimized experimental conditions for traction force microscopy (TFM) in B cell research.

Keywords:

B-cell activation BCR Live cell imaging Mechanosensing Traction force microscopy

More Related Videos

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Published on: July 10, 2019

Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell

Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell

Published on: August 4, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 24, 2025

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Published on: July 23, 2020

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Published on: July 10, 2019

Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell

Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell

Published on: August 4, 2015

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cellular Biology
Biophysics

Background:

B lymphocytes are key effector cells in humoral immunity.
B cell activation involves antigen recognition via B-cell receptors and subsequent signaling cascades.
Myosin II-mediated traction forces play a critical role in B cell discrimination of antigen density and affinity.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe general procedures for using Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) to analyze B cell activation.
To profile the origin, dynamics, and function of traction forces exerted by B cells.
To provide detailed experimental conditions for obtaining high-quality TFM data in B cell studies.

Main Methods:

Utilizing Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) to quantitatively measure dynamic traction forces generated by B cells.
Profiling the origin and dynamics of traction force during B cell activation.
Optimizing experimental conditions for B cell TFM assays.

Main Results:

Demonstrated the application of TFM for profiling B cell traction forces.
Provided detailed protocols for conducting B cell TFM experiments.
Established conditions for high-quality TFM data acquisition in B cell studies.

Conclusions:

TFM is a valuable technique for studying the mechanical forces involved in B cell activation.
Optimized TFM protocols are essential for reliable data in B cell research.
Understanding traction forces provides insights into B cell effector functions and antigen discrimination.