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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 32: Posters: Physics of Cells
BP 32.48: Poster
Donnerstag, 25. März 2010, 17:15–20:00, Poster B1
Dynamics of cell shape on micropatterned substrates — •Jerome Soine1, Achim Besser1,2, and Ulrich Schwarz1,3 — 1Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Theoretical Biophysics Group — 2Harvard Medical School, MA, USA — 3University of Heidelberg, Institute for Theoretical Physics
Free edges of adherent cells often adopt the shape of inward directed circular arcs. Combining experiments with cells on micropatterned substrates, quantitative image processing and modeling, recently it has been shown that the values for the arc radii can be explained by the interplay between tension in the cell envelope and elastic strain along the cell periphery (Bischofs et al., Biophysical Journal 95: 3488, 2008). Here we extend this model to predict the dynamics of shape changes on micropatterned substrates. The free edge of a cell between two adhesion sites is modeled as a actively contracting visco-elastic beam. Intrinsic isotropic surface tension pulls in the edge and leads to the circular arc shape. Inhibition of actin polymerization or myosin II motor activity leads to changes in arc radius which can be predicted by our model. Special focus is given to the effect of positive feedback loops involving signaling through the small Rho-GTPases.