| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
* Department of Applied Physics & Mechanical Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden; Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California USA; NutraSweet Company, Chicago, Illinois USA; and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California USA
Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Ratnesh Lal, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. Tel.: 805-893-2350; Fax: 805-893-2005; E-mail: lal{at}lifesci.ucsb.edu.
Cell surface macromolecules such as receptors and ion channels serve as the interface link between the cytoplasm and the extracellular region. Their density, distribution, and clustering are key spatial features influencing effective and proper physical and biochemical cellular responses to many regulatory signals. In this study, the effect of plasma-membrane receptor clustering on local cell mechanics was obtained from maps of interaction forces between antibody-conjugated atomic force microscope tips and a specific receptor, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor. The technique allows simultaneous measurement of the real-time motion of specific macromolecules and their effect on local rheological properties like elasticity. The clustering was stimulated by online additions of VEGF, or antibody against VEGF receptors. VEGF receptors are found to concentrate toward the cell boundaries and cluster rapidly after the online additions commence. Elasticity of regions under the clusters is found to change remarkably, with order-of-magnitude stiffness reductions and fluidity increases. The local stiffness reductions are nearly proportional to receptor density and, being concentrated near the cell edges, provide a mechanism for cell growth and angiogenesis.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  F. T. Arce, J. L. Whitlock, A. A. Birukova, K. G. Birukov, M. F. Arnsdorf, R. Lal, J. G. N. Garcia, and S. M. Dudek Regulation of the Micromechanical Properties of Pulmonary Endothelium by S1P and Thrombin: Role of Cortactin Biophys. J., July 15, 2008; 95(2): 886 - 894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Yersin, H. Hirling, S. Kasas, C. Roduit, K. Kulangara, G. Dietler, F. Lafont, S. Catsicas, and P. Steiner Elastic Properties of the Cell Surface and Trafficking of Single AMPA Receptors in Living Hippocampal Neurons Biophys. J., June 15, 2007; 92(12): 4482 - 4489. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Liu, F. T. Arce, S. Ramachandran, and R. Lal Nanomechanics of Hemichannel Conformations: CONNEXIN FLEXIBILITY UNDERLYING CHANNEL OPENING AND CLOSING J. Biol. Chem., August 11, 2006; 281(32): 23207 - 23217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Mac Gabhann and A. S. Popel Differential binding of VEGF isoforms to VEGF receptor 2 in the presence of neuropilin-1: a computational model Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2005; 288(6): H2851 - H2860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. E. Pelling, Y. Li, W. Shi, and J. K. Gimzewski Nanoscale visualization and characterization of Myxococcus xanthus cells with atomic force microscopy PNAS, May 3, 2005; 102(18): 6484 - 6489. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L.-T. Yang, J. T. Nichols, C. Yao, J. O. Manilay, E. A. Robey, and G. Weinmaster Fringe Glycosyltransferases Differentially Modulate Notch1 Proteolysis Induced by Delta1 and Jagged1 Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 2005; 16(2): 927 - 942. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. M. Stroh, A. Ebner, M. Geretschlager, G. Freudenthaler, F. Kienberger, A. S. M. Kamruzzahan, S. J. Smith-Gill, H. J. Gruber, and P. Hinterdorfer Simultaneous Topography and Recognition Imaging Using Force Microscopy Biophys. J., September 1, 2004; 87(3): 1981 - 1990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
