Scaling the microrheology of living cells

Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Oct 1;87(14):148102. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.148102. Epub 2001 Sep 13.

Abstract

We report a scaling law that governs both the elastic and frictional properties of a wide variety of living cell types, over a wide range of time scales and under a variety of biological interventions. This scaling identifies these cells as soft glassy materials existing close to a glass transition, and implies that cytoskeletal proteins may regulate cell mechanical properties mainly by modulating the effective noise temperature of the matrix. The practical implications are that the effective noise temperature is an easily quantified measure of the ability of the cytoskeleton to deform, flow, and reorganize.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / chemistry
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / physiology
  • Cytoskeleton / chemistry*
  • Cytoskeleton / physiology
  • Histamine / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Muscle Contraction / drug effects
  • Muscle, Smooth / cytology*
  • Muscle, Smooth / drug effects
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Rheology / methods
  • Trachea / cytology
  • Trachea / drug effects

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Oligopeptides
  • arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid
  • Histamine