Spectroscopic investigation of local mechanical impedance of living cells

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 7;9(7):e101687. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101687. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We studied nanoscale mechanical properties of PC12 living cells with a Force Feedback Microscope using two experimental approaches. The first one consists in measuring the local mechanical impedance of the cell membrane while simultaneously mapping the cell morphology at constant force. As the interaction force is increased, we observe the appearance of the sub-membrane cytoskeleton. We compare our findings with the outcome of other techniques. The second experimental approach consists in a spectroscopic investigation of the cell while varying the tip indentation into the membrane and consequently the applied force. At variance with conventional dynamic Atomic Force Microscopy techniques, here it is not mandatory to work at the first oscillation eigenmode of the cantilever: the excitation frequency of the tip can be chosen arbitrary leading then to new spectroscopic AFM techniques. We found in this way that the mechanical response of the PC12 cell membrane is found to be frequency dependent in the 1 kHz - 10 kHz range. In particular, we observe that the damping coefficient consistently decreases when the excitation frequency is increased.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cell Survival
  • Feedback, Physiological
  • Mechanical Phenomena*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / methods*
  • Optical Fibers
  • PC12 Cells
  • Rats
  • Spectrum Analysis*

Grants and funding

Funding provided by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia SFRH/BPD/69201/2010. COST Action TD 1002. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.