Microrheology of Microtubule-Actin-Vimentin Composite Cytoskeletal Networks

ORAL

Abstract

Mechanics of the cytoskeleton is known to be responsible for maintaining cell mechanical integrity and determining cellular functions. We develop a method that enables us to reconstruct a three-component in-vitro network composed of intermediate filaments (vimentin filaments), microtubules and F-actin filaments, which are three fundamental cytoskeletal components. This composition is more physiologically relevant compared with any of the previously reconstituted cytoskeletal networks, which are composed of one or two components only. We investigate the structure and mechanical properties of this multicomponent cytoskeletal network using a combination of several microscopies and microrheology. We show that vimentin filaments couple the other cytoskeletal filaments together by introducing steric constraints between cytoskeletal polymers; these inter-network interactions extend the composite network elastic behavior to a longer time scale, prolong the network relaxation time, and facilitate the stress propagation within the network. These findings are helpful to deepen our understanding of the mechanical role vimentin plays in regulating cellular activities.

*NIH grant 2P01GM096971

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Presenters

  • Yinan Shen

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

Authors

  • Yinan Shen

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Marjan Shayegan

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Arturo Moncho

    • Department of Applied Physics & Institute Carlos I for Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Granada

  • Hui Li

    • CAS Key Lab of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Huayin Wu

    • School of engineering and applied science, Harvard University
    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Weichao Shi

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Songlei Liu

    • Harvard Medical School, Harvard University

  • Jing Xia

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University
    • Harvard University

  • Dianzhuo Wang

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Liheng Cai

    • Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia
    • Materials Science and Engineering, university of virginia
    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Meng Zhang

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Ruihua Ding

    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University

  • Frederick MacKintosh

    • Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy & Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University
    • Rice University

  • David A Weitz

    • Physics and Applied Physics, Harvard University
    • Harvard University
    • School of engineering and applied science, Harvard University
    • Department of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University