Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 27: Physics of Cells III
BP 27.4: Talk
Thursday, March 17, 2011, 15:00–15:15, ZEU 250
Friction Modulated Traction Force in Cell Adhesion — •Tilo Pompe1, Stefan Glorius1, Stephanie Johne1, Maria Kasimir1, Martin Kaufmann1, Lars Renner1, Manfred Bobeth2, Wolfgang Pompe2, and Carsten Werner1,3 — 1Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Germany — 2Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Materials Science, Germany — 3Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Germany
The force balance between the extracellular microenvironment and the intracellular cytoskeleton controls cell fate decisions. We report a new mechanism of receptor force control in cell adhesion originating from friction between cell adhesion ligands and the supporting matrix. Myosin motor activity in conjunction with assembly of fibronectin ligands non-covalently coupled to polymer surfaces of graded physicochemistry is shown to result in modulated traction forces of adherent cells. By using a diffusion process for the description of ligand reorganization with the growing fibronectin fibrils acting as local sinks, the determined ligand mobility is correlated to traction force measurements. We conclude that the modulation of the ligand-support anchorage allows to tune cellular traction forces at adhesion receptors in the pN range by a frictional mechanism. Hence, adhesion-ligands friction has to be considered to be highly relevant in studying mechanotransduction and cell development of adherent cells.