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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 11: Novel Methods

BP 11.3: Vortrag

Dienstag, 24. März 2009, 15:00–15:15, ZEU 260

Periodic strain slows down osteoblast proliferation — •Matthias Maier¹, Pablo Fernandez¹, Ludwig Eichinger², and Andreas R. Bausch¹ — ¹E27 Zellbiophysik, Technische Universität München, D-85748 Garching, Germany — ²Institut für Biochemie I, Universität Köln, D-50931 Köln

The quantitative study of mechanotransduction poses a major interdisciplinary challenge. The complex mechanical behaviour of cells demands systematic variation of key mechanical parameters such as strain rate, amplitude and stress, as well as control of adhesive conditions. At the same time the analysis of the cellular response must deal with biological complexity and heterogeneity. Here, we present an experimental setup which combines cell monolayer rheology with DNA microarray technology. By applying shear strain on over 10 million cells simultaneously, we obtain the large amounts of material needed for integral genomics or proteomics characterisation without compromising on a clean, well-defined mechanical perturbation. In a first application, we address the phenomenon that periodic shear at large amplitudes appears to influence osteoblast proliferation. Preliminary results with our setup followed by microarray analysis indeed reveal a down-regulation of genes involved in mitosis, most conspicuously anillin, an essential component of the contractile ring. We speculate on a direct mechanical effect of the external deformation on cytokinesis.