DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.3.921. Dimensional and mechanical dynamics of active and stable edges in motile fibroblasts investigated by using atomic force microscopy

Dimensional and mechanical dynamics of active and stable edges in motile fibroblasts investigated by using atomic force microscopy

10.1073/pnas.96.3.921

Crossref journal-article

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (341)

Abstract

The atomic force microscope (AFM) was employed to investigate the extension and retraction dynamics of protruding and stable edges of motile 3T3 fibroblasts in culture. Such dynamics closely paralleled the results of earlier studies employing video microscopy that indicated that the AFM force-mapping technique does not appreciably perturb these dynamics. Force scans permitted height determinations of active and stable edges. Whereas the profiles of active edges are flat with average heights of 0.4–0.8 μm, stable edges smoothly ascend to 2–3 μm within about 6 μm of the edge. In the region of the leading edge, the height fluctuates up to 50% (SD) of the mean value, much more than the stable edge; this fluctuation presumably reflects differences in underlying cytoskeletal activity. In addition, force mapping yields an estimate of the local Young’s modulus or modulus of elasticity (E, the cortical stiffness). This stiffness will be related to “cortical tension,” can be accurately calculated for the stable edges, and is ≈12 kPa in this case. The thinness of the leading edge precludes accurate estimation of the E values, but within 4 μm of the margin it is considerably smaller than that for stable edges, which have an upper limit of 3–5 kPa. Although blebbing cannot absolutely be ruled out as a mechanism of extension, the data are consistent with an actin polymerization and/or myosin motor mechanism in which the average material properties of the extending margin would be nearly constant to the edge. Because the leading edge is softer than the stable edge, these data also are consistent with the notion that extension preferentially occurs in regions of lower cortical tension.

Bibliography

Rotsch, C., Jacobson, K., & Radmacher, M. (1999). Dimensional and mechanical dynamics of active and stable edges in motile fibroblasts investigated by using atomic force microscopy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 96(3), 921â926.

Authors 3

Christian Rotsch (first)
Ken Jacobson (additional)
Manfred Radmacher (additional)

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Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years, 1 month ago (July 26, 2002, 10:39 a.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 4 months ago (April 13, 2022, 5:25 p.m.)
Indexed	17 hours, 53 minutes ago (Aug. 26, 2025, 3:01 a.m.)
Issued	26 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 2, 1999)
Published	26 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 2, 1999)
Published Online	26 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 2, 1999)
Published Print	26 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 2, 1999)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Rotsch_1999, title={Dimensional and mechanical dynamics of active and stable edges in motile fibroblasts investigated by using atomic force microscopy}, volume={96}, ISSN={1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.3.921}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.96.3.921}, number={3}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Rotsch, Christian and Jacobson, Ken and Radmacher, Manfred}, year={1999}, month=feb, pages={921–926} }

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