Dresden 2009 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 19: Cell Adhesion
BP 19.3: Talk
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 11:15–11:30, ZEU 260
Influence of bilayer substrate fluidity on cell adhesion and cytoskeleton structure — Daniel Minner1, •Philipp Rauch2, Josef Kaes2, and Christoph Naumann1 — 1Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA — 2University of Leipzig, Germany
Contact and adhesion between cells and their environment (e.g. other cells or the extracellular matrix) play a key role in maintaining cell stability and in all cell motility processes. Transmembrane proteins of the integrin family connect to specific ligands in the extracellular matrix and establish connections e.g. via actinin between the inner cytoskeleton and the extracellular environment. Up to now tethered lipid bilayer model systems mimicking cell surfaces have found limited applications in in vitro studies since they are instable in contact with cells. The novel stacked tethered bilayer substrates developed by D. Minner and C. Naumann at the University of Indiana show good stability and reproducible diffusion properties, adjustable via linker density and number of stacked layers. We used them to investigate the influence of friction and substrate coupling on NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and their cytoskeleton. We find that with increasing fluidity, a rearrangement in the actin cytoskeleton occurs, similar to that observed on gel substrates of different stiffness. This is accompanied by reduced spreading of the cells. First experiments with neuronal cell lines show a contrary effect: On more fluid substrates, dendritic growth seems to be accelerated.