title: Atomic Force Microscopy Mechanical Mapping of Micropatterned Cells Shows Adhesion Geometry-Dependent Mechanical Response on Local and Global Scales.
abstract: In multicellular organisms, cell shape and organization are dictated by cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix adhesion interactions. Adhesion complexes crosstalk with the cytoskeleton enabling cells to sense their mechanical environment. Unfortunately, most of cell biology studies, and cell mechanics studies in particular, are conducted on cultured cells adhering to a hard, homogeneous, and unconstrained substrate with nonspecific adhesion sites, thus far from physiological and reproducible conditions. Here, we grew cells on three different fibronectin patterns with identical overall dimensions but different geometries (▽, T, and Y), and investigated their topography and mechanics by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained mechanical maps were reproducible for cells grown on patterns of the same geometry, revealing pattern-specific subcellular differences. We found that local Young's moduli variations are related to the cell adhesion geometry. Additionally, we detected local changes of cell mechanical properties induced by cytoskeletal drugs. We thus provide a method to quantitatively and systematically investigate cell mechanics and their variations, and present further evidence for a tight relation between cell adhesion and mechanics.
authors.affiliation: †U1006 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Annafrancesca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rigato
authors.affiliation: †U1006 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.affiliation: †U1006 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eghiaian
authors.affiliation: ‡Institut Curie, UMR 144 CNRS/IC, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Cedex 05 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piel
authors.affiliation: †U1006 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheuring
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002477:Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: atomic force microscopy; cell adhesion; cell elasticity; cell mechanics; force mapping; force spectroscopy; micropatterns