Effects of plasma membrane cholesterol level and cytoskeleton F-actin on cell protrusion mechanics.

ABSTRACT: Protrusions are deformations that form at the surface of living cells during biological activities such as cell migration. Using combined optical tweezers and fluorescent microscopy, we quantified the mechanical properties of protrusions in adherent human embryonic kidney cells in response to application of an external force at the cell surface. The mechanical properties of protrusions were analyzed by obtaining the associated force-length plots during protrusion formation, and force relaxation at constant length. Protrusion mechanics were interpretable by a standard linear solid (Kelvin) model, consisting of two stiffness parameters, k0 and k1 (with k0>k1), and a viscous coefficient. While both stiffness parameters contribute to the time-dependant mechanical behavior of the protrusions, k

SUBMITTER: Khatibzadeh N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3579816 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature