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Single-Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling
Poster Abstracts
96
103-POS
Board 52
Measuring Single Suspension Cell Mechanical Properties and Cytoskeleton Contribution
by AFM
Mingliu Zhu
, Fen Liu, Dong Sun, Jian LU,
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Living cell is confronting to different forces from the outer environments. During the life
processes, cell mechanics is involved and closely related to different functions. Studying the cell
mechanical properties will help us well understand different physical phenomenon. Cytoskeleton
underneath the cell membrane serves as the main supporting part to the whole cell. It contributes
most to cell mechanical properties. Studying the cytoskeleton mechanical properties contribution
is the key to understand cell mechanics.
This work concentrates on the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) suspension cell mechanical
properties and contribution of cytoskeleton to the whole cell mechanical properties.
We established a measuring methodology to quantify the mechanical properties of the single
suspension by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). AFM experiments are conducting to extract
cell and cytoskeleton elastic mechanical properties. The cell anchoring method, detailed testing
method parameters like ramp sizes, tip velocities, trig thresholds, and the indenting times will all
be determined in this methodology. According to the deformation depth, a proper fitting model
will be used to extract cell’s elastic properties.
This methodology can be applied in the following two parts: first, using AFM to quantify
different types of AML cell lines mechanical properties is conducted. We can use mechanical
properties to distinguish different species of AML cell lines. These results will be useful
parameters when distinguishing different stages of cell lines.
Second by the aid of cytoskeleton distribution agents, we can quantify the contributions of
cytoskeletons to the whole cell mechanical properties. The experiment results shows that as the
increasing concentrations of cytoskeleton distribution agents in the culture medium, the
measuring mechanical properties of certain AML cell line will decrease. These results will be
useful parameters when conducting the cell modeling work.