Title:
Cell Contraction Induces Long-Ranged Stress Stiffening in the Extracellular Matrix
Cell Contraction Induces Long-Ranged Stress Stiffening in the Extracellular Matrix
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Author(s)
Ronceray, Pierre
Han, Yu Long
Lenz, Martin
Broedersz, Chase
Guo, Ming
Han, Yu Long
Lenz, Martin
Broedersz, Chase
Guo, Ming
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Abstract
Animal cells in tissues are supported by biopolymer matrices, which exhibit highly nonlinear mechanical properties. Here we show that this nonlinearity allows living contractile cells to generate a massive stiffness gradient in three distinct 3D extracellular matrix model systems: collagen, fibrin, and Matrigel. We decipher this remarkable behavior by introducing Nonlinear Stress Inference Microscopy (NSIM), a novel technique to infer stress fields in a 3D matrix from nonlinear microrheology measurement with optical tweezers. Using NSIM and simulations, we reveal a long-ranged propagation of cell-generated stresses resulting from local filament buckling. This slow decay of stress gives rise to the large spatial extent of the observed cell-induced matrix stiffness gradient, which could form a mechanism for mechanical communication between cells.
Sponsor
Georgia Institute of Technology. College of Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology. Institute for Materials
Georgia Institute of Technology. Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Materials Science and Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Physics
American Physical Society
Exxon Mobil Corporation
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
Georgia Institute of Technology. Institute for Materials
Georgia Institute of Technology. Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Materials Science and Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Physics
American Physical Society
Exxon Mobil Corporation
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
Date Issued
2018-04-19
Extent
11:44 minutes
Resource Type
Moving Image
Resource Subtype
Lecture