Regensburg 2016 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 49: Posters - Cell Mechanics and Migration & Physics of Cancer

BP 49.14: Poster

Mittwoch, 9. März 2016, 17:00–19:00, Poster C

Macrophages are sensitive to substrate elasticity during Fcγ receptor-mediated phagocytosis — •Wolfgang Gross, Kathrin Weidner-Hertrampf, and Holger Kress — Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Phagocytosis, the internalization of micrometer-sized objects like bacteria and dead cells by macrophages is a main function of the innate immune system. After the detection of foreign particles by membrane receptors, this process is driven by the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which leads to a protrusion of the membrane around the target. Although many molecular players have been identified in the past, there is still little known about the mechanics of this process and in particular about the role of the mechanical cellular environment.

In this work we investigate the influence of the underlying substrate rigidity on uptake efficiency. We cultured murine J774 macrophages on PDMS-substrates with elastic moduli ranging from 1.5 to 28kPa. The uptake efficiency of IgG-coated microparticles was quantified with secondary antibody staining. We found that the uptake efficiency depends on the rigidity of the substrate. Furthermore, we observed that cells were able to adapt to the various substrate stiffnesses and showed comparable uptake efficiencies after several weeks of adaptation. Our results support the hypothesis that phagocytosis is a mechanosensitive process. In addition, our results might contribute to understand the complex interplay between the immune system and disease states that come along with changes in tissue rigidity such as cancer, atherosklerosis and fibrotic tuberculosis.