title: Biomechanical and proteomic analysis of INF- beta-treated astrocytes.
abstract: Astrocytes have a key role in the pathogenesis of several diseases including multiple sclerosis and were proposed as the designed target for immunotherapy. In this study we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) and proteomics methods to analyse and correlate the modifications induced in the viscoleastic properties of astrocytes to the changes induced in protein expression after interferon- beta (IFN-beta) treatment. Our results indicated that IFN-beta treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the Young's modulus, a measure of cell elasticity, in comparison with control cells. The molecular mechanisms that trigger these changes were investigated by 2DE (two-dimensional electrophoresis) and confocal analyses and confirmed by western blotting. Altered proteins were found to be involved in cytoskeleton organization and other important physiological processes.
authors.affiliation: National Nanotechnology Laboratory of CNR-INFM, ISUFI, University of Lecce, Italian Institute of Technology Research Unit, via Arnesano, Lecce I-73100, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martignago
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leporatti
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonsegna
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maruccio
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Nuccio
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santino
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cingolani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolardi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maffia
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016899:Interferon-beta