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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 30: Posters: Physics of Cells

BP 30.3: Poster

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3

Microfluidic shear on keratin networks in live cells — •Jens-Friedrich Nolting, Jannick Langfahl-Klabes, and Sarah Köster — Courant Research Centre Nano-Spectroscopy and X-Ray Imaging, University of Göttingen, Germany

Intermediate filaments are a major component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton along with microtubules and microfilaments. They play a key role in cell mechanics, providing cells with compliance to small deformations and reinforcing them when large stresses are applied. Here, we present a study of fluorescent keratin intermediate filament networks in live cells with respect to their behavior in the presence of external forces. We expose the cells to specified shear forces applied by microfluidic methods and investigate the response of the keratin network in situ. We accomplish a description of the full shear stress distribution acting on the cell using finite element method simulations of the flow conditions. This investigation shows that the shear flow does not lead to a noticeable deformation of the cells but apparently interacts with the cells’ interior in an indirect way by inducing changes of internal processes. We find a considerable stiffening of the keratin bundle motion with the establishment and further increase of the shear flow. The dynamics change from a free and relatively independent "wobble"-motion to a restricted one, reminiscent of rigid rods.