서강대학교

초록 (요약문)

Cytoskeletal proteins provide mechanical tensions within cells that regulate critical cellular functions. While many techniques explored protein defor- mations on a macroscale, only few focused on the mechanosensing on a nanoscale. Furthermore, a model of actin deformations in mammalian cells due to mechanical stress has not been investigated. To look at series of protein deformations on the mechanosensing on nanoscale, we used super- resolution microscopy and a manual cell stretching device to unidirectionally strecth actin fibers of a human dermal fibroblast until nanoscale deforma- tions were observed. Super-resolution microscopy, stimulated emission de- pletion microscopy (STED), allowed observing subdiffractional tears that were once unresolved using conventional confocal microscopy, and the elas- tic deformation of the substrate enabled finding the minimum threshold me- chanical force needed to make nanoscale deformations in the adherent cell. Finding the mechanical limitation of cytoskeletal proteins in nanoscale will aid predicting their mechanoresponsive behaviors on a macroscopic level.