The structure and mechanics of the cell cortex depend on the location and adhesion state

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Flormann, D. A. D.; Kainka, L.; Montalvo, G.; Anton, C.; Rheinlaender, J.; Thalla, D.; Vesperini, D.; Pohland, M. O.; Kaub, K. H.; Schu, M.; Pezzano, F.; Ruprecht, V.; Terriac, E.; Hawkins, R. J.; Lautenschlaeger, F.
• 署名单位: Saarland University; Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen; University of Gottingen; Barcelona Institute of Science & Technology; Pompeu Fabra University; Centre de Regulacio Genomica (CRG); Pompeu Fabra University; ICREA; University of Sheffield; Saarland University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-10900
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320372121
• 发表日期: 2024-07-30
• 关键词: f-actin; DYNAMICS; network; architecture; inhibition; elasticity

摘要

Cells exist in different phenotypes and can transition between them. A phenotype may be characterized by many different aspects. Here, we focus on the example of whether the cell is adhered or suspended and choose particular parameters related to the structure and mechanics of the actin cortex. The cortex is essential to cell mechanics, morphology, and function, such as for adhesion, migration, and division of animal cells. To predict and control cellular functions and prevent malfunctioning, it is necessary to understand the actin cortex. The structure of the cortex governs cell mechanics; however, the relationship between the architecture and mechanics of the cortex is not yet well enough understood to be able to predict one from the other. Therefore, we quantitatively measured structural and mechanical cortex parameters, including cortical thickness, cortex mesh size, actin bundling, and cortex stiffness. These measurements required developing a combination of measurement techniques in scanning electron, expansion, confocal, and atomic force microscopy. We found that the structure and mechanics of the cortex of cells in interphase are different depending on whether the cell is suspended or adhered. We deduced general correlations between structural and mechanical properties and show how these findings can be explained within the framework of semiflexible polymer network theory. We tested the model predictions by perturbing the properties of the actin within the cortex using compounds. Our work provides an important step toward predictions of cell mechanics from cortical structures and suggests how cortex remodeling between different phenotypes impacts the mechanical properties of cells.