Viscoelasticity in Wild-Type and Vinculin-Deficient (5.51) Mouse F9 Embryonic Carcinoma Cells Examined by Atomic Force Microscopy and Rheology

Authors: Goldmann W.H.; Ezzell R.M.

Source: Experimental Cell Research, Volume 226, Number 1, July 1996 , pp. 234-237(4)

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Abstract:

We have been studying mouse F9 embryonic carcinoma cells which contain no detectable vinculin protein (5.51 cells), and compared them with F9 wild-type cells. Employing atomic force microscopy, we probed the elastic properties of individual F9 wild-type and 5.51 cells by measuring the dynamic response of controlled loads of the cantilever tip. An elastic modulus (Young) of =~3.8 and =~2.5 kPa was calculated for wild-type and 5.51 cells, respectively. Using disc rheometry, we detected a marked change in shear of a 1000 g pellet of =~55 x 10 6 cells between wild-type and 5.51 mutants. These differences are attributed to the loss of vinculin and altered cytoskeletal organization in these cells.

Language: English

Document Type: Short communication

Affiliations: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129

Publication date: 1996-07-01