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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Posters: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration
BP 7.39: Poster
Monday, March 31, 2014, 17:30–19:30, P3
Microrheology study of integrin dependent mechanical properties of fibroblasts under shear stress — •Fenneke KleinJan1, Yoojin Lee1, Reinhard Fässler2, and Kay Gottschalk1 — 1Ulm University, Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm, Germany — 2Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Medicine, Martinsried, Germany
Physical forces are increasingly recognized as an important biological signal. The protein family of integrins are a key element in force sensing, functioning as a bidirectional force signalling protein. They link the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix, giving the cells the opportunity to respond to force by adapting the cytoskeletal filaments. However, how the different integrins cooperatively modulate the force response of the cytoskeleton is not understood.
To study the crosstalk between integrin avb3 and a5b1 we use mouse embryonic fibroblasts that express only the single integrin or a combination of both. We focused on the local mechanical properties of isolated cytoskeletal filaments using microrheology, studying both fibroblasts under static conditions and under influence of shear stress. Preliminary results show that the avb3 integrin is responsible for reinforcing the network. Cells expressing avb3 and avb3a5b1 integrins have a similar elastic modulus under static conditions and this modulus shows a comparable decrease when cells are exposed to shear stress.