Cyclic Stress at mHz Frequencies Aligns Fibroblasts in Direction of Zero Strain
Figure 8
Effect of substrate elasticity on mechanoresponse induction.
Cells on stretch chambers of ∼1 kPa, 3 kPa, 11 kPa and 50 kPa elasticity were stretched for 16 hours with amplitude a3 (11.8%). Subsequently, cells were fixed, stained for actin and main actin orientation angles (A) as well as main cell orientations (B) were determined. n equals 145, 86, 152 and 261 cells for Young's moduli of ∼1 kPa, 3 kPa, 11 kPa and 50 kPa, respectively. (C) Single cell analysis on cells grown on ∼1 kPa and 50 kPa substrates, respectively, before and after the indicated substrate stretch (Y, black arrow). Substrate elongations under the cell (X, white arrow) were determined. The indicated percentage is the effective substrate elongation. Note the strongly reduced substrate stretch under the cell on ∼1 kPa substrates. n = 2 cells on ∼1 kPa substrate and 3 cells on 50 kPa substrate.