Cell adhesion strength is controlled by intermolecular spacing of adhesion receptors.
Spatial patterning of biochemical cues on the micro- and nanometer scale controls numerous cellular processes such as spreading, adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Using force microscopy we show that the lateral spacing of individual integrin receptor-ligand bonds determines the strength of cell adhesion. For spacings > or = 90 nm, focal contact formation was inhibited and the detachment forces as well as the stiffness of the cell body were significantly decreased compared to spacings < or = 50 nm. Analyzing cell detachment at the subcellular level revealed that rupture forces of focal contacts increase with loading rate as predicted by a theoretical model for adhesion clusters. Furthermore, we show that the weak link between the intra- and extracellular space is at the intracellular side of a focal contact. Our results show that cells can amplify small differences in adhesive cues to large differences in cell adhesion strength.
Max Planck-Institute for Metals Research, Department of New Materials and Biosystems, Stuttgart, Germany.
C
C
Selhuber-Unkel
T
T
Erdmann
M
M
López-García
H
H
Kessler
U S
US
Schwarz
J P
JP
Spatz
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D004548:Elasticity; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D016023:Integrins; D008024:Ligands; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C507169:cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide