title: Inherently slow and weak forward forces of neuronal growth cones measured by a drift-stabilized atomic force microscope.
abstract: Previous results have shown that glial cells provide a soft environment for the neurons of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). This raises the question whether neurons are confined to the CNS and cannot wander off into more rigid tissues, such as brain capillary walls. We investigated the mechanical properties and force generation of extending mouse retinal ganglion cells and NG108-15 growth cones (GCs) using different atomic force microscope (AFM)-based methods. For the first time, to our knowledge, we were able to measure the forward pushing forces at the leading edge of outgrowing neuronal GCs with our drift-stabilized AFM. Our results demonstrate that these GCs have neither the required stability nor the ability to produce forces necessary to penetrate tissues that are at least an order of magnitude stiffer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Soft Matter Physics Division, University of Leipzig, Linnéstr. 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. TFuhs@physik.Uni-Leipzig.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuhs
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vonderhaid
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Claudepierre
authors.forename: Josef A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Käs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats