Mechanochemical transduction of cells on extracellular matrix proteins.
Cellular growth and development are mediated by many factors. One of these factors includes the interaction of cells with extra-cellular matrix (ECM) proteins. This interaction exists in the form of mechanical attachments between ECM proteins and intracellular micro filaments though focal adhesion...
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Format: | Final Year Project |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2009
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16525 |
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Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
Language: | English |
Summary: | Cellular growth and development are mediated by many factors. One of these factors includes the interaction of cells with extra-cellular matrix (ECM) proteins. This
interaction exists in the form of mechanical attachments between ECM proteins and
intracellular micro filaments though focal adhesion sites. Cell traction force at the
adhesion sites are mediated by intracellular actin filaments and myosin movements.
This study is conducted to investigate traction force displacement of smooth muscle
endothelial cells (SMC) with various ECM proteins; collagen I, fibronectin and
laminin, cultured on a double layer polyacrylamide (PAL) gel substratum. The
detection of traction forces lies in micro beads embedded in the PAL gel
configuration. Analysis of these beads displacements were made using Particle Image
Velocimetry (PIV) method, and the force displacements were translated into a
displacement vectors, based on Minimum Quadratic Differences (MQD) algorithm.
This study established a suitable protocol for synthesis of double layer
polyacrylamide (PAL) gel substratum and presents a preliminary finding on the
possible traction forces that SMC cells could induce when adhered to different ECM
proteins. The results strongly suggest that focal adhesions formed by various integrin
receptors displayed different mechanical characteristics and varies proportionally with cell spreading. |
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