Simulation of the coupling of cell contractility and focal adhesion formation

Amit Pathak, Vikram S. Deshpande, Robert M. McMeeking, Anthony G. Evans

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The remodeling of the cytoskeleton and focal adhesion distributions for cells on substrates with micro-patterned ligand patches is investigated using a bio-chemo-mechanical model. All the cells have approximately the same area and we investigate the effect of ligand pattern shape on the cytoskeletal arrangements and focal adhesion distributions. The model for the cytoskeleton accounts for the dynamic rearrangement of the actin/myosin stress fibers and entails the highly non-linear interactions between signaling, the kinetics of tensiondependent stress-fiber formation/dissolution and stress dependent contractility. This model is coupled with a focal adhesion (FA) model that accounts for the mechano-sensitivity of the adhesions from thermodynamic considerations. This coupled stress fiber and focal adhesion model is shown to capture a variety of key experimental observations including: (i) the formation of high stress fiber and focal adhesion concentrations at the periphery of circular and triangular, convex-shaped ligand patterns; (ii) the development of high focal adhesion concentrations along the edges of the V, T, Y and U shaped concave ligand patterns; and (iii) the formation of highly aligned stress fibers along the un-adhered edges of cells on the concave ligand patterns. When appropriately calibrated, the model also accurately predicts the radii of curvature of the un-adhered edges of cells on the concave-shaped ligand patterns..

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference 2007, SBC 2007
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Pages263-264
Number of pages2
ISBN (Print)0791847985, 9780791847985
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Event2007 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, SBC 2007 - Keystone, CO, United States
Duration: Jun 20 2007Jun 24 2007

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference 2007, SBC 2007

Conference

Conference2007 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, SBC 2007
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKeystone, CO
Period06/20/0706/24/07

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