Abstract
We present an interferometric technique allowing reliable measurements of bending modulus κ, membrane tension Σ and adhesion energy W of cells crawling on substrates. All three parameters are important for cell locomotion and reflect the local balance of attractive and repulsive forces between cell and substratum as well as the internal coupling of cell membrane and the underlying cytoskeleton. Mutants of the Dictyostelium ameba lacking an important cytoskeletal protein, Cortexillin, exhibited a markedly reduced bending modulus and adhesion energy as compared to wild type Dictyostelium. In addition, experiments with model membrane systems suggest that the combination of attractive and repulsive forces results in a local clustering of receptors mediating cell adhesion.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 3-13 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Materials Research Society Symposium - Proceedings |
| Volume | 463 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
| Event | Proceedings of the 1996 MRS Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, USA Duration: 2 Dec 1996 → 6 Dec 1996 |