Berlin 2018 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 10: Postersession II

BP 10.17: Poster

Montag, 12. März 2018, 17:30–19:30, Poster C

The role of endothelial cell mechanics in leukocyte extravasation — •Matthias Brandt¹, Volker Gerke², and Timo Betz¹ — ¹Institute of Cell Biology (ZMBE), University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Straße 56, D-48149 Münster — ²Institute of Medical Biochemistry (ZMBE), University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Straße 56, D-48149 Münster

The endothelium forms the inner surface of blood and lymphatic vessels in the human body. For the immune response of an organism, leukocytes need to transmigrate through this endothelial cell (EC) monolayer, which requires coordination and adaptation of the EC and leukocyte mechanics. We aim to investigate the effect of EC stiffness on leukocyte guidance and the role of EC mechanics in this transendothelial migration.
We use an in vitro model consisting of HUVEC cells cultivated on a polyacrylamide gel substrate functionalized with basement membrane proteins, and leukocytes flown in by a microfluidic setup. The impact of varying substrate stiffness on EC mechanics and the question to which extend stiffness gradients are reflected by the endothelium itself is examined. Traction force microscopy serves to measure forces applied by the ECs to the substrate and to infer force transmissions at cell-cell junctions. The stiffness of the EC cortex and intracellular forces are measured using an optical tweezer. Using optogenecic activation of Rac1, RhoA and CDC42 signaling will generate localized EC contractility allowing to correlate EC mechanics and leukocyte migration.