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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Poster I
BP 7.62: Poster
Monday, March 23, 2009, 17:45–20:00, P3
Investigating the chemo-mechanical properties of two-dimensional actin networks — •Kai Uhrig1,2, Rainer Kurre1,2, Martin Streichfuss1,2, Friedrich Erbs1,2, Simon Schulz1,2, Anabel Clemen1,2, Tamas Haraszti1,2, Christian Böhm1,2, and Joachim Spatz1,2 — 1MPI for Metals Research, Dept. Spatz, Heisenbergstr. 3, 70569 Stuttgart — 2Univ. of Heidelberg, Biophys. Chem. Dept., INF 253, 69120 Heidelberg
The actin cortex, a quasi two-dimensional network of actin, plays an important role in cell stability, motility and viscoelasticity. In vivo, its characteristic properties are controlled by various crosslinkers, such as actin binding proteins or ions. To investigate the influence of a specific crosslinker on the network’s behaviour exclusively we create and probe biomimetic models of the actin cortex. This is realized using microbeads trapped by holographic optical tweezers (HOTs) as scaffold for the actin filaments. With this technique we are able to create actin networks in arbitrary geometry and determine the forces exerted by different crosslinkers. Using a special microfluidic flowcell we have full control over the chemical environment in our experiments. The acting forces are measured by highspeed imaging, whereas simultaneous fluorescence microscopy yields information about the structure and density of the actin network. In another approach we use micropillars as framework and measure unzipping forces of crosslinked actin filaments.