A new strategy to measure intercellular adhesion forces in mature cell-cell contacts

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170999
  • Intercellular adhesion plays a major role in tissue development and homeostasis. Yet, technologies to measure mature cell-cell contacts are not available. We introduce a methodology based on fluidic probe force microscopy to assess cell-cell adhesion forces after formation of mature intercellular contacts in cell monolayers. With this method we quantify that L929 fibroblasts exhibit negligible cell-cell adhesion in monolayers whereas human endothelial cells from the umbilical artery (HUAECs) exert strong intercellular adhesion forces per cell.Intercellular adhesion plays a major role in tissue development and homeostasis. Yet, technologies to measure mature cell-cell contacts are not available. We introduce a methodology based on fluidic probe force microscopy to assess cell-cell adhesion forces after formation of mature intercellular contacts in cell monolayers. With this method we quantify that L929 fibroblasts exhibit negligible cell-cell adhesion in monolayers whereas human endothelial cells from the umbilical artery (HUAECs) exert strong intercellular adhesion forces per cell. We use a new in vitro model based on the overexpression of Muscle Segment Homeobox 1 (MSX1) to induce Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT), a process involved in cardiovascular development and disease. We reveal how intercellular adhesion forces in monolayer decrease significantly at an early stage of EndMT and we show that cells undergo stiffening and flattening at this stage. This new biomechanical insight complements and expands the established standard biomolecular analyses. Our study thus introduces a novel tool for the assessment of mature intercellular adhesion forces in a physiological setting that will be of relevance to biological processes in developmental biology, tissue regeneration and diseases like cancer and fibrosis.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Ana Sancho, Ine Vandersmissen, Sander Craps, Aernout Luttun, Jürgen Groll
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170999
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Medizinische Fakultät / Abteilung für Funktionswerkstoffe der Medizin und der Zahnheilkunde
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Scientific Reports
Year of Completion:2017
Volume:7
Issue:46152
Source:Scientific Reports 2017, 7:46152. DOI: 10.1038/srep46152
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46152
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28393890
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Tag:atomic force microscopy; biophysics; intercellular adhesion; mature cell-cell contacts
Release Date:2019/10/14
EU-Project number / Contract (GA) number:617989
EU-Project number / Contract (GA) number:203291
OpenAIRE:OpenAIRE
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International