Force Microscopy of Non-Adherent Cells: A Comparison of Leukemia Cell Deformability
Michael J Rosenbluth 1, Wilbur A Lam 1 and Daniel A Fletcher 1*
1 UC Berkeley
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: fletch{at}berkeley.edu.
Submitted on May 26, 2005
Revised on August 17, 2005
Accepted on 4 January 2006
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Abstract |
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Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become an important tool for quantifying mechanical properties of biological materials ranging from single molecules to cells and tissues. Current AFM techniques for measuring elastic and viscoelastic properties of whole cells are based on indentation of cells firmly adhered to a substrate, but these techniques are not appropriate for probing non-adherent cells, such as passive human leukocytes, due to a lateral instability of the cells under load. Here we present a method for characterizing non-adherent cells with AFM by mechanically immobilizing them in microfabricated wells. We apply this technique to compare the deformability of human myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cells and neutrophils at low deformation rates, and we find that the cells are well described by an elastic model based on Hertzian mechanics. Myeloid (HL60) cells were measured to be a factor of 18 stiffer than lymphoid (Jurkat) cells and 6 times stiffer than human neutrophils on average (E = 855 ± 670 Pa for HL60 cells, E = 48 ± 35 Pa for Jurkat cells, E = 156 ± 87 for neutrophils, mean ± SD). This work demonstrates a simple method for extending AFM mechanical property measurements to non-adherent cells and characterizes properties of human leukemia cells that may contribute to leukostasis, a complication associated with acute leukemia.
Key Words:
Acute Leukemia, Atomic Force Microscopy, Cell Mechanics, Hertzian Mechanics, Leukostasis, Viscoelasticity
