FRET measurements of cell-traction forces and nano-scale clustering of adhesion ligands varied by substrate stiffness.

ABSTRACT: The mechanical properties of cell adhesion substrates regulate cell phenotype, but the mechanism of this relation is currently unclear. It may involve the magnitude of traction force applied by the cell, and/or the ability of the cells to rearrange the cell adhesion molecules presented from the material. In this study, we describe a FRET technique that can be used to evaluate the mechanics of cell-material interactions at the molecular level and simultaneously quantify the cell-based nanoscale rearrangement of the material itself. We found that these events depended on the mechanical rigidity of the adhesion substrate. Furthermore, both the proliferation and differentiation of preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) correlated to the magnitude of force that cells generate to cluster the cell adhesion li

SUBMITTER: Kong HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC555469 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature