Three-Dimensional Analysis of the Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor on Cell-Cell Adhesion in Epithelial Cell Clusters
Abstract
The effect that growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) have on cell-cell adhesion is of interest in the study of cellular processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Because cell-cell adhesions cannot be measured directly, we use three-dimensional traction force microscopy to measure the tractions applied by clusters of MCF-10A cells to a compliant substrate beneath them before and after stimulating the cells with EGF. To better interpret the results, a finite element model, which simulates a cluster of individual cells adhered to one another and to the substrate with linear springs, is developed to better understand the mechanical interaction between the cells in the experiments. The experiments and simulations show that the cluster of cells acts collectively as a single unit, indicating that cell-cell adhesion remains strong before and after stimulation with EGF. In addition, the experiments and model emphasize the importance of three-dimensional measurements and analysis in these experiments.
Additional Information
© 2012 by the Biophysical Society. Submitted November 28, 2011, and accepted for publication February 13, 2012. This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (Division of Materials Research No. 0520565) through the Center for Science and Engineering of Materials at the California Institute of Technology to G.R. and A.R.A. and the National Institutes of Health (R01-CA138899 and U54CA143907) to A.R.A. J.N. was supported by the Department of Defense through the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program.Attached Files
Published - Notbohm2012p17938Biophys_J.pdf
Supplemental Material - mmc1.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 31258
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20120501-133259441
- 0520565
- NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)
- R01-CA138899
- NIH
- U54CA143907
- NIH
- Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
- Created
-
2012-05-01Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- GALCIT