Berlin 2024 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 15: Poster IIb
BP 15.5: Poster
Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 18:00–20:30, Poster F
Structure and mechanics of actomyosin contractility in hiPSC cardiomyocytes — •Mangalika Sinha1, Boram Yu1, Rita Mendes da Silva1,3, Isabelle Refke1,2, Manfred Burghammer3, Ulrike Rölleke1, and Sarah Köster1 — 1Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany — 2University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany — 3European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) are an interesting model system for studying heart ac- tivity and cardiovascular diseases in human. These cells contain sarcomeres, composed of actin-myosin, which is responsible for the contractility of cardiac muscles. Moreover, the contraction of these cardiac muscle cells depends on the geometry of these sarcomeres. In this study, we use complementary techniques, small angle x-ray scat- tering (SAXS) and traction force microscopy (TFM), to understand the relation between well-aligned sarcomeres and the contractile force generation of the actin-myosin complexes present in the muscle cells.Our SAXS results enable us to quantify the orientation of the sarcomeric structures. It correlates well with the fluorescence microscopy images of the actin filaments. The TFM data provide insights into contractile force generation. These findings play an important role in understanding the contractile nature of the sarcomeres and their behavior in healthy and diseased human heart.
Keywords: small angle x-ray scattering; cardiomyocytes; traction force microscopy; actin; cell mechanics