Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the mechanical properties and adhesion force of cells using a single cell tensile test and atomic force microscopy : Remarkable differences in cell types

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved..

Many experimental techniques have been reported to provide knowledge of the mechanical behavior of cells from biomechanical viewpoints, however, it is unclear how the intercellular structural differences influence macroscopic and microscopic mechanical properties of cells. The aim of our study is to clarify the comprehensive mechanical properties and cell-substrate adhesion strength of cells, and the correlation with intracellular structure in different cell types. We developed an originally designed micro tensile tester, and performed a single cell tensile test to estimate whole cell tensile stiffness and adhesion strength of normal vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and cervical cancer HeLa cells: one half side of the specimen cell was lifted up by a glass microneedle, then stretched until the cell detached from the substrate, while force was simultaneously measured. The tensile stiffness and adhesion strength were 49 ± 10 nN/% and 870 ± 430 nN, respectively, in VSMCs (mean ± SD, n = 8), and 19 ± 17 nN/% and 320 ± 160 nN, respectively, in HeLa cells (n = 9). The difference was more definite in the surface elastic modulus map obtained by atomic force microscopy, indicating that the internal tension of the actin cytoskeleton was significantly higher in VSMCs than in HeLa cells. Structural analysis with confocal microscopy revealed that VSMCs had a significant alignment of F-actin cytoskeleton with mature focal adhesion, contrary to the randomly oriented F-actin with smaller focal adhesion of HeLa cells, indicating that structural arrangement of the actin cytoskeleton and their mechanical tension generated the differences in cell mechanical properties and adhesion forces. The finding strongly suggests that the mechanical and structural differences in each cell type are deeply involved with their physiological functions.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:110

Enthalten in:

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials - 110(2020) vom: 20. Okt., Seite 103935

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Nagayama, Kazuaki [VerfasserIn]
Ohata, Shigeaki [VerfasserIn]
Obata, Shota [VerfasserIn]
Sato, Akiko [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Cell biomechanics
Cytoskeleton
Journal Article
Mechanotransduction
Nucleus
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Smooth muscle cell

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 14.05.2021

Date Revised 14.05.2021

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103935

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM315284935