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Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Maskarinec, SA; Franck, C; Tirrell, DA; Ravichandran, G
Published in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 29, 2009

Cells engage in mechanical force exchange with their extracellular environment through tension generated by the cytoskeleton. A method combining laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and digital volume correlation (DVC) enables tracking and quantification of cell-mediated deformation of the extracellular matrix in all three spatial dimensions. Time-lapse confocal imaging of migrating 3T3 fibroblasts on fibronectin (FN)-modified polyacrylamide gels of varying thickness reveals significant in-plane (x, y) and normal (z) displacements, and illustrates the extent to which cells, even in nominally two-dimensional (2-D) environments, explore their surroundings in all three dimensions. The magnitudes of the measured displacements are independent of the elastic moduli of the gels. Analysis of the normal displacement profiles suggests that normal forces play important roles even in 2-D cell migration.

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Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

December 29, 2009

Volume

106

Issue

52

Start / End Page

22108 / 22113

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Swiss 3T3 Cells
  • Models, Biological
  • Microspheres
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Mice
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Fibronectins
  • Extracellular Matrix
  • Elasticity
 

Citation

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Maskarinec, S. A., Franck, C., Tirrell, D. A., & Ravichandran, G. (2009). Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 106(52), 22108–22113. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904565106
Maskarinec, Stacey A., Christian Franck, David A. Tirrell, and Guruswami Ravichandran. “Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106, no. 52 (December 29, 2009): 22108–13. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904565106.
Maskarinec SA, Franck C, Tirrell DA, Ravichandran G. Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Dec 29;106(52):22108–13.
Maskarinec, Stacey A., et al. “Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 106, no. 52, Dec. 2009, pp. 22108–13. Pubmed, doi:10.1073/pnas.0904565106.
Maskarinec SA, Franck C, Tirrell DA, Ravichandran G. Quantifying cellular traction forces in three dimensions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Dec 29;106(52):22108–22113.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

December 29, 2009

Volume

106

Issue

52

Start / End Page

22108 / 22113

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Swiss 3T3 Cells
  • Models, Biological
  • Microspheres
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Mice
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Fibronectins
  • Extracellular Matrix
  • Elasticity