Complexity of the tensegrity structure for dynamic energy and force distribution of cytoskeleton during cell spreading.

ABSTRACT: Cytoskeleton plays important roles in intracellular force equilibrium and extracellular force transmission from/to attaching substrate through focal adhesions (FAs). Numerical simulations of intracellular force distribution to describe dynamic cell behaviors are still limited. The tensegrity structure comprises tension-supporting cables and compression-supporting struts that represent the actin filament and microtubule respectively, and has many features consistent with living cells. To simulate the dynamics of intracellular force distribution and total stored energy during cell spreading, the present study employed different complexities of the tensegrity structures by using octahedron tensegrity (OT) and cuboctahedron tensegrity (COT). The spreading was simulated by assigning specific co

SUBMITTER: Chen TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3006198 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature