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Title:	Integrin-Specific Mechanoresponses to Compression and Extension Probed by Cylindrical Flat-Ended AFM Tips in Lung Cells
Author:	Acerbi, Irene; Luque González, Tomás; Giménez Hidalgo, Alícia; Puig, Marta; Reguart, Noemí; Farré Ventura, Ramon; Navajas Navarro, Daniel; Alcaraz Casademunt, Jordi
Other authors:	Universitat de Barcelona
Abstract:	Cells from lung and other tissues are subjected to forces of opposing directions that are largely transmitted through integrin-mediated adhesions. How cells respond to force bidirectionality remains ill defined. To address this question, we nanofabricated flat-ended cylindrical Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tips with ~1 µm2 cross-section area. Tips were uncoated or coated with either integrin-specific (RGD) or non-specific (RGE/BSA) molecules, brought into contact with lung epithelial cells or fibroblasts for 30 s to form focal adhesion precursors, and used to probe cell resistance to deformation in compression and extension. We found that cell resistance to compression was globally higher than to extension regardless of the tip coating. In contrast, both tip-cell adhesion strength and resistance to compression and extension were the highest when probed at integrin-specific adhesions. These integrin-specific mechanoresponses required an intact actin cytoskeleton, and were dependent on tyrosine phosphatases and Ca2+ signaling. Cell asymmetric mechanoresponse to compression and extension remained after 5 minutes of tip-cell adhesion, revealing that asymmetric resistance to force directionality is an intrinsic property of lung cells, as in most soft tissues. Our findings provide new insights on how lung cells probe the mechanochemical properties of the microenvironment, an important process for migration, repair and tissue homeostasis.
Subject(s):	-Cèl·lules epitelials -Malalties de l'aparell respiratori -Transport biològic -Epithelial cells -Respiratory organs diseases -Biological transport
Rights:	cc-by (c) Acerbi, A. et al., 2012 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es
Document type:	Article Article - Published version
Published by:	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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