Quantifying cell-to-cell variation in power-law rheology.

ABSTRACT: Among individual cells of the same source and type, the complex shear modulus G(∗) exhibits a large log-normal distribution that is the result of spatial, temporal, and intrinsic variations. Such large distributions complicate the statistical evaluation of pharmacological treatments and the comparison of different cell states. However, little is known about the characteristic features of cell-to-cell variation. In this study, we investigated how this variation depends on the spatial location within the cell and on the actin filament cytoskeleton, the organization of which strongly influences cell mechanics. By mechanically probing fibroblasts arranged on a microarray, via atomic force microscopy, we observed that the standard deviation σ of G(∗) was significantly reduced among cells in whi

SUBMITTER: Cai P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3762352 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature