Study of the Mechanical Behavior of Subcellular Organelles Using a 3D Finite Element Model of the Tensegrity Structure

Gholamreza Mohammadi Khunsaraki,Hanieh Niroomand Oscuii,Arkady Voloshin

doi:10.3390/app11010249

Gholamreza Mohammadi Khunsaraki, Hanieh Niroomand Oscuii + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010249

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Abstract

A tensegrity model can be used to describe the mechanical behavior of living cells. A finite element model (FEM) was used to assess the mechanical contribution of subcellular organelles. Continuum parts like the cytoplasm and membrane were modeled as continuous elements, while the tensegrity was chosen to model the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton. An atomic force microscope load was implemented to simulate the external load. The cell components were loaded separately to evaluate their mechanical contributions. The analysis started with a single cytoplasm and each of the cell components was added in consecutive steps. The results showed that the cytoskeleton carried the largest part of the reaction force. The cytoplasm was the second important component of the cell’s mechanical response. It was shown that the nucleoskeleton has a stiffer structure than the membrane and cytoplasm. The cytoskeleton supported approximately 90% of the reaction force, while the cytoplasm carried 9% and the shell parts and nucleoskeleton were responsible for about 1%.

Highlights

The cell is the smallest functional unit of the mammalian body
We planned to show that the simulated structure can estimate the behavior of a living cell, to consider the role of different subcellular organelles in the mechanical behavior of the cell and to study the mechanical behavior of the subcellular organelles
The membrane, cytoplasm, and nuclear envelope (NE) were modeled as the continuum parts, while CSK and NSK were modeled as the structural parts

Summary

Introduction

The cell is the smallest functional unit of the mammalian body. They directly affect all of the body’s activities, including movement, transmitting information, metabolism, storing nutrients, etc. Eukaryotic cells are comprised of subcellular organelles, encompass the nucleus and different polymeric filaments, and are surrounded by membrane [1]. From the perspective of mechanical behavior, the membrane, cytoskeleton, and nucleus are the most important subcellular organelles in mammalian cells. The cytoskeleton is a complex structure consisting of actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. This structure is responsible for the cell shape, structural stability, and function [2]

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