SKM 2023 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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SYSD: Symposium SKM Dissertation Prize 2023

SYSD 1: SKM Dissertation Prize

SYSD 1.2: Hauptvortrag

Montag, 27. März 2023, 10:00–10:30, HSZ 04

Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales — •Anna V. Schepers — Rosalind Franklin Institute and University of Oxford, UK — Georg-August University Göttingen, DE

The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton, an intricate and complex structure formed by protein filaments, motor proteins, and crosslinkers. The three main types of protein filaments are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments (IFs). Whereas microtubules and actin filaments are exceptionally conserved, the family of IFs is diverse. The variety of IF proteins is potentially linked to the various mechanics of different cell types. We combined studies of IF mechanics on different time scales and in systems of increasing complexity, from single filaments to networks in cells. This multiscale approach allows us to interpret observations from simplified system while adding increasing physiological context in subsequent experiments. We focussed on the tunability of IF mechanics by environmental cues. In a series of experiments, including single filament stretching measurements and filament-filament interaction measurements with optical tweezers, microrheology, and cell stretching, we characterised how electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions provide mechanisms by which the IF cytoskeleton can be tuned. The studies revealed how small changes influence IF mechanics on multiple scales. In combination with simulations, we characterised how charge shifts alter single filament mechanics. Such insights provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which cells can maintain their integrity and mechanically adapt to their environment.