Measurement of cell adhesion force by vertical forcible detachment using an arrowhead nanoneedle and atomic force microscopy
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan)
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8562 (Japan)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Ten-nohdai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan)
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We developed a method to measure cell adhesion force by detaching cell using an arrowhead nanoneedle and AFM. • A nanofilm consisting of fibronectin and gelatin was formed on cell surface to reinforce the cell cortex. • By the nanofilm lamination, detachment efficiencies of strongly adherent cell lines were improved markedly. - Abstract: The properties of substrates and extracellular matrices (ECM) are important factors governing the functions and fates of mammalian adherent cells. For example, substrate stiffness often affects cell differentiation. At focal adhesions, clustered–integrin bindings link cells mechanically to the ECM. In order to quantitate the affinity between cell and substrate, the cell adhesion force must be measured for single cells. In this study, forcible detachment of a single cell in the vertical direction using AFM was carried out, allowing breakage of the integrin–substrate bindings. An AFM tip was fabricated into an arrowhead shape to detach the cell from the substrate. Peak force observed in the recorded force curve during probe retraction was defined as the adhesion force, and was analyzed for various types of cells. Some of the cell types adhered so strongly that they could not be picked up because of plasma membrane breakage by the arrowhead probe. To address this problem, a technique to reinforce the cellular membrane with layer-by-layer nanofilms composed of fibronectin and gelatin helped to improve insertion efficiency and to prevent cell membrane rupture during the detachment process, allowing successful detachment of the cells. This method for detaching cells, involving cellular membrane reinforcement, may be beneficial for evaluating true cell adhesion forces in various cell types.
- OSTI ID:
- 22416713
- Journal Information:
- Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 451, Issue 1; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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