title: X-rays effects on cytoskeleton mechanics of healthy and tumor cells.
abstract: Alterations in the cytoskeleton structure are frequently found in several diseases and particularly in cancer cells. It is also through the alterations of the cytoskeleton structure that cancer cells acquire most of their common features such as uncontrolled cell proliferation, cell death evasion, and the gaining of migratory and invasive characteristics. Although radiation therapies currently represent one of the most effective treatments for patients, the effects of X-irradiation on the cytoskeleton architecture are still poorly understood. In this case we investigated the effects, over time of two different doses of X-ray irradiation, on cell cytoskeletons of BALB/c3T3 and Sv40-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells (SVT2). Biophysical parameters - focal adhesion size, actin bundles organization, and cell mechanical properties - were measured before and after irradiations (1 and 2 Gy) at 24 and 72 h, comparing the cytoskeleton properties of normal and transformed cells. The differences, before and after X-irradiation, were revealed in terms of cell morphology and deformability. Finally, such parameters were correlated to the alterations of cytoskeleton dynamics by evaluating cell adhesion at the level of focal adhesion and cytoskeleton mechanics. X-irradiation modifies the structure and the activity of cell cytoskeleton in a dose-dependent manner. For transformed cells, radiation sensitively increased cell adhesion, as indicated by paxillin-rich focal adhesion, flat morphology, a well-organized actin cytoskeleton, and intracellular mechanics. On the other hand, for normal fibroblasts IR had negligible effects on cytoskeletal and adhesive protein organization. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care@CRIB - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci n. 53, Napoli, 80125, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panzetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinic Medicine, University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Menna
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care@CRIB - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci n. 53, Napoli, 80125, Italy.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Musella
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Federico II and INFN-Sezione di Napoli, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia, Napoli, 80126, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariagabriella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Federico II and INFN-Sezione di Napoli, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia, Napoli, 80126, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care@CRIB - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci n. 53, Napoli, 80125, Italy.|Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), University of Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, Napoli, 80125, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Netti
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care@CRIB - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci n. 53, Napoli, 80125, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabato
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fusco
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D022001:Focal Adhesions; D006801:Humans; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: Cytoskeleton; Focal Adhesion; Mechanobiology; Microrheology; Particle Tracking; X-rays