Abstract
Cells are able to sense and react to their physical environment by translating a mechanical cue into an intracellular biochemical signal that triggers biological and mechanical responses. This process, called mechanotransduction, controls essential cellular functions such as proliferation and migration. The cellular response to an external mechanical stimulation has been investigated with various static and dynamic systems, so far limited to global deformations or to local stimulation through discrete substrates. To apply local and dynamic mechanical constraints at the single cell scale through a continuous surface, we have developed and modelled magneto-active substrates made of magnetic micro-pillars embedded in an elastomer. Constrained and unconstrained substrates are analysed to map surface stress resulting from the magnetic actuation of the micro-pillars and the adherent cells. These substrates have a rigidity in the range of cell matrices, and the magnetic micro-pillars generate local forces in the range of cellular forces, both in traction and compression. As an application, we followed the protrusive activity of cells subjected to dynamic stimulations. Our magneto-active substrates thus represent a new tool to study mechanotransduction in single cells, and complement existing techniques by exerting a local and dynamic stimulation, traction and compression, through a continuous soft substrate.
Highlights
Living cells have a sense of touch, which means that they are able to feel, respond and adapt to the mechanical properties of their environment
We propose a new method to produce deformable substrates that enable local and dynamic mechanical stimulation of cells plated on a continuous surface
Traction force microscopy (TFM) is used to estimate the magnitude of stress generated by the pillar on the surface, which is in the range of the typical stress applied by contractile cells
Summary
Living cells have a sense of touch, which means that they are able to feel, respond and adapt to the mechanical properties of their environment. In order to study mechanotransduction, it is essential to stimulate cells with mechanical cues controlled both spatially and temporally. To address this topic, various methods have been proposed to exert experimentally controlled mechanical stimuli on adherent cells[13]. We propose a new method to produce deformable substrates that enable local and dynamic mechanical stimulation of cells plated on a continuous surface. These substrates consist of iron micro-pillars spatially arranged in a soft elastomer and locally actuated using a magnetic field generated by two electromagnets. A proof of principle experiment on living cells is presented, showing increased protrusive activity of fibroblasts after a period of mechanical stimulation
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