scholarly journals Alterations in Cell Mechanics by Actin Cytoskeletal Changes Correlate with Strain-Specific Rubella Virus Phenotypes for Cell Migration and Induction of Apoptosis

Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kräter ◽  
Jiranuwat Sapudom ◽  
Nicole Bilz ◽  
Tilo Pompe ◽  
Jochen Guck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Rubella Virus ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Filamentous Actin ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Induction Of Apoptosis

The cellular cytoskeleton is central for key cellular functions, and as such is a marker for diseased and infected cell states. Here we analyzed infection with rubella virus (RV) strains with respect to phenotypes in cellular mechanical properties, cell movement, and viral cytopathogenicity. Real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC), as a high-throughput platform for the assessment of cell mechanics, revealed a correlation of an increase in cortical filamentous-actin (F-actin) with a higher cellular stiffness. The additional reduction of stress fibers noted for only some RV strains as the most severe actin rearrangement lowered cell stiffness. Furthermore, a reduced collective and single cell migration speed in a wound healing assay was detected in addition to severe changes in cell morphology. The latter was followed by activation of caspase 3/7 as a sign for induction of apoptosis. Our study emphasizes RT-DC technology as a sensitive means to characterize viral cell populations and to implicate alterations of cell mechanical properties with cell functions. These interdependent events are not only promising options to elucidate viral spread and to understand viral pathologies within the infected host. They also contribute to any diseased cell state, as exemplified by RV as a representative agent for cytoskeletal alterations involved in a cytopathological outcome.

scholarly journals Ezrin Phosphorylation at T567 Modulates Cell Migration, Mechanical Properties, and Cytoskeletal Organization

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Zhang ◽  
Luis R. Flores ◽  
Michael C. Keeling ◽  
Kristina Sliogeryte ◽  
Núria Gavara
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Intracellular Localization ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Cell Cortex ◽  
Image Quantification ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Nuclear Changes

Ezrin, a member of the ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin) family of proteins, serves as a crosslinker between the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. By doing so, it provides structural links to strengthen the connection between the cell cortex and the plasma membrane, acting also as a signal transducer in multiple pathways during migration, proliferation, and endocytosis. In this study, we investigated the role of ezrin phosphorylation and its intracellular localization on cell motility, cytoskeleton organization, and cell stiffness, using fluorescence live-cell imaging, image quantification, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results show that cells expressing constitutively active ezrin T567D (phosphomimetic) migrate faster and in a more directional manner, especially when ezrin accumulates at the cell rear. Similarly, image quantification results reveal that transfection with ezrin T567D alters the cell’s gross morphology and decreases cortical stiffness. In contrast, constitutively inactive ezrin T567A accumulates around the nucleus, and although it does not impair cell migration, it leads to a significant buildup of actin fibers, a decrease in nuclear volume, and an increase in cytoskeletal stiffness. Finally, cell transfection with the dominant negative ezrin FERM domain induces significant morphological and nuclear changes and affects actin, microtubules, and the intermediate filament vimentin, resulting in cytoskeletal fibers that are longer, thicker, and more aligned. Collectively, our results suggest that ezrin’s phosphorylation state and its intracellular localization plays a pivotal role in cell migration, modulating also biophysical properties, such as membrane–cortex linkage, cytoskeletal and nuclear organization, and the mechanical properties of cells.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial DNA 3243A>G heteroplasmy is associated with changes in cytoskeletal protein expression and cell mechanics

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (131) ◽  
pp. 20170071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Kandel ◽  
Martin Picard ◽  
Douglas C. Wallace ◽  
David M. Eckmann
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Mitochondrial Function ◽  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Filamin A ◽  
The Relationship

Mitochondrial and mechanical alterations in cells have both been shown to be hallmarks of human disease. However, little research has endeavoured to establish connections between these two essential features of cells in both functional and dysfunctional situations. In this work, we hypothesized that a specific genetic alteration in mitochondrial function known to cause human disease would trigger changes in cell mechanics. Using a previously characterized set of mitochondrial cybrid cell lines, we examined the relationship between heteroplasmy for the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 3243A>G mutation, the cell cytoskeleton, and resulting cellular mechanical properties. We found that cells with increasing mitochondrial dysfunction markedly differed from one another in gene expression and protein production of various co-regulated cytoskeletal elements. The intracellular positioning and organization of actin also differed across cell lines. To explore the relationship between these changes and cell mechanics, we then measured cellular mechanical properties using atomic force microscopy and found that cell stiffness correlated with gene expression data for known determinants of cell mechanics, γ-actin, α-actinin and filamin A. This work points towards a mechanism linking mitochondrial genetics to single-cell mechanical properties. The transcriptional and structural regulation of cytoskeletal components by mitochondrial function may explain why energetic and mechanical alterations often coexist in clinical conditions.

scholarly journals Cortactin Promotes Effective AGS Cell Scattering by Helicobacter pylori CagA, but Not Cellular Vacuolization and Apoptosis Induced by the Vacuolating Cytotoxin VacA

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Irshad Sharafutdinov ◽  
Jakob Knorr ◽  
Delara Soltan Esmaeili ◽  
Steffen Backert ◽  
Nicole Tegtmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Knockout Mutant ◽  
Vacuolating Cytotoxin ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Cell Scattering ◽  
Induction Of Apoptosis ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Cytoskeletal Rearrangements

Cortactin is an actin-binding protein and actin-nucleation promoting factor regulating cytoskeletal rearrangements in eukaryotes. Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that exploits cortactin to its own benefit. During infection of gastric epithelial cells, H. pylori hijacks multiple cellular signaling pathways, leading to the disruption of key cell functions. Two bacterial virulence factors play important roles in this scenario, the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA and the translocated effector protein CagA of the cag type IV secretion system (T4SS). Specifically, by overruling the phosphorylation status of cortactin, H. pylori alternates the activity of molecular interaction partners of this important protein, thereby manipulating the performance of cytoskeletal rearrangements, endosomal trafficking and cell movement. Based on shRNA knockdown and other studies, it was previously reported that VacA utilizes cortactin for its cellular uptake, intracellular travel and induction of apoptosis by a mitochondria-dependent mechanism, while CagA induces cell scattering, motility and elongation. To investigate the role of cortactin in these phenotypes in more detail, we produced a complete knockout mutant of cortactin in the gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS by CRISPR-Cas9. These cells were infected with H. pylori wild-type or various isogenic mutant strains. Unexpectedly, cortactin deficiency did not prevent the uptake and formation of VacA-dependent vacuoles, nor the induction of apoptosis by internalized VacA, while the induction of T4SS- and CagA-dependent AGS cell movement and elongation were strongly reduced. Thus, we provide evidence that cortactin is required for the function of internalized CagA, but not VacA.

scholarly journals LncRNA LINC00472 regulates cell stiffness and inhibits the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma by binding to YBX1

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangying Deng ◽  
Wei Xiong ◽  
Xianjie Jiang ◽  
Shanshan Zhang ◽  
Zheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Lung Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell Migration And Invasion ◽  
Adenocarcinoma Cells ◽  
Patient Prognosis

Abstract There is increasing evidence that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in human tumorigenesis. By using publicly available expression profiling data from lung adenocarcinoma and integrating bioinformatics analysis, we screened a lncRNA, LINC00472. LINC00472 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly lower and tightly associated with patient prognosis and TNM clinical stages in lung adenocarcinoma. LINC00472 also inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion and increased cell stiffness and adhesion. RNA pull down and RIP assays identified that LINC00472 interacted with the transcription factor Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1), which partially reversed the inhibition of cell migration and invasion and increased LINC00472-induced cell stiffness and adhesion. LINC00472 also regulated the density and integrity of F-actin in A549 and PC-9 cells possibly via YBX1. LINC00472 inhibited the cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes via the modulation of YBX1. These results indicated that LINC00472 inhibited the cell EMT process by binding to YBX1, and affected the mechanical properties of the cell, ultimately inhibited its ability to invade and metastasize. Collectively, the present study provides the first evidence that LINC00472 changes the mechanical properties and inhibits the invasion and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

scholarly journals A novel Fiji/ImageJ-based macro identifies the limitations of F-actin markers in studying the fast amoeboid migration of confined cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl W Vosatka ◽  
Sandrine B Lavenus ◽  
Jeremy S Logue
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Rapid Analysis ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Cell Behavior ◽  
Phenotypic Switch ◽  
Red Fluorescent Proteins

When confined, cells have recently been shown to undergo a phenotypic switch to what has been termed, fast amoeboid (leader bleb-based) migration. However, as this is a nascent area of research, few tools are available for the rapid analysis of cell behavior. Here, we demonstrate that a novel Fiji/ImageJ-based macro, Analyze_Blebs, can be used to quickly obtain cell migration parameters and morphometrics from time lapse images. As validation, we show that Analyze_Blebs can detect significant differences in cell migration and morphometrics, such as the largest bleb size, upon introducing different live markers of F-actin, including F-tractin and LifeAct tagged with green and red fluorescent proteins. We also demonstrate, using flow cytometry, that live markers increase total levels of F-actin. Furthermore, that F-tractin increases cell stiffness, which was found to correlate with a decrease in migration, thus reaffirming the importance of cell mechanics as a determinant of Leader Bleb-Based Migration (LBBM).

scholarly journals Quantitative Methodologies to Dissect Immune Cell Mechanobiology

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 851
Author(s):  
Veronika Pfannenstill ◽  
Aurélien Barbotin ◽  
Huw Colin-York ◽  
Marco Fritzsche
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Force Generation ◽  
Tissue Microenvironment ◽  
And Behavior

Mechanobiology seeks to understand how cells integrate their biomechanics into their function and behavior. Unravelling the mechanisms underlying these mechanobiological processes is particularly important for immune cells in the context of the dynamic and complex tissue microenvironment. However, it remains largely unknown how cellular mechanical force generation and mechanical properties are regulated and integrated by immune cells, primarily due to a profound lack of technologies with sufficient sensitivity to quantify immune cell mechanics. In this review, we discuss the biological significance of mechanics for immune cells across length and time scales, and highlight several experimental methodologies for quantifying the mechanics of immune cells. Finally, we discuss the importance of quantifying the appropriate mechanical readout to accelerate insights into the mechanobiology of the immune response.

scholarly journals Cell mechanical properties of human breast carcinoma cells depend on temperature

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Aermes ◽  
Alexander Hayn ◽  
Tony Fischer ◽  
Claudia Tanja Mierke
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Creep Response ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Myosin Filaments ◽  
Cell Mechanical Properties ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
Mcf 7

AbstractThe knowledge of cell mechanics is required to understand cellular processes and functions, such as the movement of cells, and the development of tissue engineering in cancer therapy. Cell mechanical properties depend on a variety of factors, such as cellular environments, and may also rely on external factors, such as the ambient temperature. The impact of temperature on cell mechanics is not clearly understood. To explore the effect of temperature on cell mechanics, we employed magnetic tweezers to apply a force of 1 nN to 4.5 µm superparamagnetic beads. The beads were coated with fibronectin and coupled to human epithelial breast cancer cells, in particular MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Cells were measured in a temperature range between 25 and 45 °C. The creep response of both cell types followed a weak power law. At all temperatures, the MDA-MB-231 cells were pronouncedly softer compared to the MCF-7 cells, whereas their fluidity was increased. However, with increasing temperature, the cells became significantly softer and more fluid. Since mechanical properties are manifested in the cell’s cytoskeletal structure and the paramagnetic beads are coupled through cell surface receptors linked to cytoskeletal structures, such as actin and myosin filaments as well as microtubules, the cells were probed with pharmacological drugs impacting the actin filament polymerization, such as Latrunculin A, the myosin filaments, such as Blebbistatin, and the microtubules, such as Demecolcine, during the magnetic tweezer measurements in the specific temperature range. Irrespective of pharmacological interventions, the creep response of cells followed a weak power law at all temperatures. Inhibition of the actin polymerization resulted in increased softness in both cell types and decreased fluidity exclusively in MDA-MB-231 cells. Blebbistatin had an effect on the compliance of MDA-MB-231 cells at lower temperatures, which was minor on the compliance MCF-7 cells. Microtubule inhibition affected the fluidity of MCF-7 cells but did not have a significant effect on the compliance of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. In summary, with increasing temperature, the cells became significant softer with specific differences between the investigated drugs and cell lines.

Intrinsic mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix affect the behavior of pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (6) ◽  
pp. C1640-C1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chirag B. Khatiwala ◽  
Shelly R. Peyton ◽  
Andrew J. Putnam
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Maximal Activity ◽  
Type I ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Collagen Density ◽  
Cells Cultured ◽  
In Cells

Mechanical cues present in the ECM have been hypothesized to provide instructive signals that dictate cell behavior. We probed this hypothesis in osteoblastic cells by culturing MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface of type I collagen-modified hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties and assessed their proliferation, migration, and differentiation. On gels functionalized with a low type I collagen density, MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on polystyrene proliferated twice as fast as those cultured on the softest substrate. Quantitative time-lapse video microscopic analysis revealed random motility speeds were significantly retarded on the softest substrate (0.25 ± 0.01 μm/min), in contrast to maximum speeds on polystyrene substrates (0.42 ± 0.04 μm/min). On gels functionalized with a high type I collagen density, migration speed exhibited a biphasic dependence on ECM compliance, with maximum speeds (0.34 ± 0.02 μm/min) observed on gels of intermediate stiffness, whereas minimum speeds (0.24 ± 0.03 μm/min) occurred on both the softest and most rigid (i.e., polystyrene) substrates. Immature focal contacts and a poorly organized actin cytoskeleton were observed in cells cultured on the softest substrates, whereas those on more rigid substrates assembled mature focal adhesions and robust actin stress fibers. In parallel, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity (assessed by detecting pY397-FAK) was influenced by compliance, with maximal activity occurring in cells cultured on polystyrene. Finally, mineral deposition by the MC3T3-E1 cells was also affected by ECM compliance, leading to the conclusion that altering ECM mechanical properties may influence a variety of MC3T3-E1 cell functions, and perhaps ultimately, their differentiated phenotype.

Myogenic cell movement in the developing avian limb bud in presence and absence of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER)

Development ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-125
Author(s):  
Madeleine Gumpel-Pinot ◽  
D. A. Ede ◽  
O. P. Flint
Keyword(s):  
Cell Migration ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Host Tissue ◽  
Apical Ectodermal Ridge ◽  
Limb Bud ◽  
Myogenic Cell ◽  
Myogenic Cells ◽  
Apical Direction ◽  
Wing Bud ◽  
Presence And Absence

Fragments of quail wing bud containing myogenic cells of somitic origin and fragments of quail sphlanchopleural tissue were introduced into the interior of the wing bud of fowl embryo hosts. No movement of graft into host tissue occurred in the control, but myogenic cells from the quail wing bud fragments underwent long migrations in an apical direction to become incorporated in the developing musculature of the host. When the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), together with some subridge mesenchyme, was removed at the time of grafting, no such cell migration occurred. The capacity of grafted myogenic cells to migrate in the presence of AER persists to H.H. stage 25, when myogenesis has begun, but premyogenic cells in the somites, which normally migrate out into the early limb bud, do not migrate when somite fragments are grafted into the wing bud. Coelomic grafts of apical and proximal wing fragments showed that apical sections of quail wing buds become invaded by myogenic cells of the host, but grafts from proximal wing bud regions do not.

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