Mammalian cell surfaces consist of the plasma membrane supported by an underneath cortical cytoskeleton.Together,these structures can control not only the shape of cells but also a series of cellular functions ranging...Mammalian cell surfaces consist of the plasma membrane supported by an underneath cortical cytoskeleton.Together,these structures can control not only the shape of cells but also a series of cellular functions ranging from migration and division to exocytosis,endocytosis and differentiation.Furthermore,the cell surface is capable of exerting and reacting to mechanical forces.Its viscoelastic properties,especially membrane tension and bending modulus,are fundamental parameters involved in these responses.This viewpoint summarizes our current knowledge on how to measure the viscoelastic properties of cell surfaces employing optical tweezers-based tether assays,paving the way for a better understanding of how cells react to external mechanical forces,with a glance on their remodeling dynamics and possible consequences on downstream cellular processes.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Brazilian agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico(CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(CAPES)–Financial Code 001,Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro(FAPERJ)+1 种基金Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado do Amazonas(FAPEAM)Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Fluidos Complexos(INCT-FCx)together with Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado de São Paulo(FAPESP).BP was supported by a JCNE grant from FAPERJ.
文摘Mammalian cell surfaces consist of the plasma membrane supported by an underneath cortical cytoskeleton.Together,these structures can control not only the shape of cells but also a series of cellular functions ranging from migration and division to exocytosis,endocytosis and differentiation.Furthermore,the cell surface is capable of exerting and reacting to mechanical forces.Its viscoelastic properties,especially membrane tension and bending modulus,are fundamental parameters involved in these responses.This viewpoint summarizes our current knowledge on how to measure the viscoelastic properties of cell surfaces employing optical tweezers-based tether assays,paving the way for a better understanding of how cells react to external mechanical forces,with a glance on their remodeling dynamics and possible consequences on downstream cellular processes.
