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Biophys. J. BioFAST: First Published February 3, 2006. doi:10.1529/biophysj.105.072215
© 2006 by the Biophysical Society.

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 15, 2006.
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CELL BIOPHYSICS

A master relation defines the nonlinear viscoelasticity of single fibroblasts

Pablo Fernandez 1*, Pramod A. Pullarkat 1 and Albrecht Ott 1

1 Universität Bayreuth

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pablo{at}ep1.uni-bayreuth.de.

Submitted on September 1, 2005
Revised on September 30, 2005
Accepted on 17 January 2006


  Abstract
Cell mechanical functions like locomotion, contraction and division are controlled by the cytoskeleton, a dynamic biopolymer network whose mechanical properties remain poorly understood. We perform single-cell uniaxial stretching experiments on 3T3 fibroblasts. By superimposing small amplitude oscillations on a mechanically prestressed cell, we find a transition from linear viscoelastic behavior to power-law stress hardening. Data from different cells over several stress decades can be uniquely scaled to obtain a master-relation between the viscoelastic moduli and the average force. Remarkably, this relation holds independently of deformation history, adhesion biochemistry, and intensity of active contraction. In particular, it is irrelevant whether force is actively generated by the cell or externally imposed by stretching. We propose that the master-relation reflects the mechanical behavior of the force bearing actin cytoskeleton, in agreement with stress hardening known from semiflexible filament networks.

Key Words: cell mechanics, cytoskeleton, nonlinear elasticity, stress stiffening, viscoelasticity




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Copyright © 2006 by the Biophysical Society.