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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 4: Tissue Mechanics I
BP 4.8: Talk
Monday, March 27, 2023, 17:00–17:15, BAR Schö
The role of intermediate filaments in stress resistance in 3D epithelial structures — •Tom Golde1, Marco Pensalfini2, Nimesh Chahare1, Marino Arroyo1,2, and Xavier Trepat1,3,4 — 1IBEC, Barcelona, Spain — 2UPC, Barcelona, Spain — 3UB, Barcelona, Spain — 4ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
The safety belt hypothesis states that IFs are protecting cells from large and rapid deformations. However, typical experiments for stretching epithelial tissues only reach maximum strains of around 0.3. We developed a microfluidic device where an epithelial monolayer is grown on a porous surface with circular low adhesion zones. Upon applying hydrostatic pressure, the monolayer delaminates into a spherical cap (dome), generating tissue strains of more than 1 while individual cells are stretched up to strains of 9. We can image these 3D epithelial domes with high resolution, determine the tissue tension via Laplace law, and control the rate of inflation and deflation.
Using this approach with MDCK cells, we observed a striking reorganization of the keratin IF rim-and-spoke network into a central knot with thick, radially oriented bundles. Previous results by us and others hereby indicate a crucial role of actin-IF interactions. To better understand the mechanical principles of such transitions, we developed a multiscale computational model that simulates the interactions of keratin IFs with the nucleus, desmosomes, and the actin cortex. Combining experiments and simulations, we can now conclusively test the safety belt hypothesis in controlled and unparalleled large 3D tissue deformations