Biomembrane-mimicking lipid bilayer system as a mechanically tunable cell substrate.
Cell behavior such as cell adhesion, spreading, and contraction critically depends on the elastic properties of the extracellular matrix. It is not known, however, how cells respond to viscoelastic or plastic material properties that more closely resemble the mechanical environment cells encounter in the body. In this report, we employ viscoelastic and plastic biomembrane-mimicking cell substrates. The compliance of the substrates can be tuned by increasing the number of polymer-tethered bilayers. This leaves the density and conformation of adhesive ligands on the top bilayer unaltered. We then observe the response of fibroblasts to these property changes. For comparison, we also study the cells on soft polyacrylamide and hard glass surfaces. Cell morphology, motility, cell stiffness, contractile forces and adhesive contact size all decrease on more compliant matrices but are less sensitive to changes in matrix dissipative properties. These data suggest that cells are able to feel and respond predominantly to the effective matrix compliance, which arises as a combination of substrate and adhesive ligand mechanical properties.
Department of Biophysics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91052, Germany. Electronic address: llautscham@biomed.uni-erlangen.de.
Lena A
LA
Lautscham
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
Corey Y
CY
Lin
Department of Biophysics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91052, Germany.
Vera
V
Auernheimer
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
Christoph A
CA
Naumann
Department of Biophysics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91052, Germany.
Wolfgang H
WH
Goldmann
Department of Biophysics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91052, Germany.
Ben
B
Fabry
D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D013499:Surface Properties
D008051:Lipid Bilayers
Biomimetic materials; Compliance; Mechanosensing; Phospholipid bilayer stacks