Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 40: Cell Mechanics II / Cytoskeleton II

BP 40.4: Talk

Friday, March 13, 2026, 10:45–11:00, BAR/0205

Investigating the interaction between cardiac fibroblasts using ROCS and fluorescence microscopy — •Arash Felekary and Alexander Rohrbach — IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Germany

Cell-cell interaction is essential for cardiac function. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), thin actin-based membrane protrusions, mediate long-range interactions by transporting organelles and signaling molecules. To study their role in cardiac fibroblast (FB) interaction, we combined Rotating Coherent Scattering (ROCS) microscopy with fluorescence imaging. ROCS provides label-free, high-contrast recordings at up to 100 Hz and resolves TNTs and lamellipodia across several micrometers above the substrate. Using this approach, we observed a linear correlation between TNT density and lamellipodia motion velocity. Collagen labeling revealed that TNTs frequently align with collagen fibers, suggesting a structural coupling between ECM-linked TNTs and actin-driven protrusions. These observations motivated a spatially resolved simulation of actin filament polymerization and branching, incorporating integrin*collagen interactions and Arp2/3 activation. The model reproduces the experimentally observed increase in lamellipodial velocity with TNT density and supports a mechanism in which TNTs locally amplify integrin-mediated actin remodeling. In this presentation, we discuss how TNTs, lamellipodia, and ECM components cooperatively guide FB interaction, offering new insight into the structural and mechanical coordination underlying cardiac tissue remodeling.

Keywords: Cardiac Fibroblasts; Tunneling Nanotubes (TNTs); Lamellipodia dynamics; ROCS microscopy; Extracellular Matrix (ECM)