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Single microtubules and small networks become significantly stiffer on short time-scales upon mechanical stimulation

Koch, M. D.; Schneider, N. 1; Nick, P. 1; Rohrbach, A.
1 Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

The transfer of mechanical signals through cells is a complex phenomenon. To uncover a new mechanotransduction pathway, we study the frequency-dependent transport of mechanical stimuli by single microtubules and small networks in a bottom-up approach using optically trapped beads as anchor points. We interconnected microtubules to linear and triangular geometries to perform micro-rheology by defined oscillations of the beads relative to each other. We found a substantial stiffening of single filaments above a characteristic transition frequency of 1–30 Hz depending on the filament’s molecular composition. Below this frequency, filament elasticity only depends on its contour and persistence length. Interestingly, this elastic behavior is transferable to small networks, where we found the surprising effect that linear two filament connections act as transistor-like, angle dependent momentum filters, whereas triangular networks act as stabilizing elements. These observations implicate that cells can tune mechanical signals by temporal and spatial filtering stronger and more flexibly than expected.


Volltext §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000072169
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04415-z
Scopus
Zitationen: 14
Web of Science
Zitationen: 14
Dimensions
Zitationen: 16
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Fakultät für Chemie und Biowissenschaften – Botanisches Institut und Botanischer Garten (BOTANIK)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsjahr 2017
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 2045-2322
urn:nbn:de:swb:90-721696
KITopen-ID: 1000072169
Erschienen in Scientific reports
Verlag Nature Research
Band 7
Heft 1
Seiten Art.Nr.: 4229
Nachgewiesen in Scopus
Web of Science
Dimensions
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