Regensburg 2007 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 5: Cell Adhesion
BP 5.5: Vortrag
Montag, 26. März 2007, 12:00–12:15, H44
Quantification of Cell Adhesion Forces on Elastic Nanopattern Substrates — •Ilia Louban1,2, Christine Selhuber1,2, Stefan Gräter1,2, and Joachim Spatz1,2 — 1Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research, Dept. of New Materials and Biosystems, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart — 2University of Heidelberg, Biophysical Chemistry, INF 253, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Rigidity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the key properties in cell adhesion and cell migration. Its influence on cell adhesion forces is not quantitatively evaluated by biophysical means. Hydrogels, based on Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate (PEG-DA), have been developed and tailored as synthetic ECM analog the last years. By changing the molecular weight of the PEG-DA macromolecules a variety of hydrogel elasticity are achieved. The Young's moduli (E) of available hydrogels span more than three orders of magnitude: from Petri-dish-like, stiff PEG-DA 700 (E = 6 MPa) to soft, gelatinous PEG-DA 20000 (E = 1 kPa). To promote cell adhesion, c(-RGDfK-) peptide functionalized, extended gold-nanopatterns are anchored on the surface of PEG-DA hydrogel. For adhesion experiments rat embryonic fibroblast are plated five to six hours on nanostructured hydrogel substrates. Cell adhesion forces are measured by detaching cells from the PEG-DA surface with tipless, biofunctionalized cantilever driven by an atomic force microscope. Forces are determined as a function of hydrogel stiffness and ligand patterning. The latter enables the quantification of cooperative processes on the molecular scale which govern cell adhesion phenomena.