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Traction in smooth muscle cells varies with cell spreadingChanges in cell shape regulate cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. It has been suggested that the regulation of cell function by the cell shape is a result of the tension in the cytoskeleton and the distortion of the cell. Here we explore the association between cell-generated mechanical forces and the cell morphology. We hypothesized that the cell contractile force is associated with the degree of cell spreading, in particular with the cell length. We measured traction fields of single human airway smooth muscle cells plated on a polyacrylamide gel, in which fluorescent microbeads were embedded to serve as markers of gel deformation. The traction exerted by the cells at the cell-substrate interface was determined from the measured deformation of the gel. The traction was measured before and after treatment with the contractile agonist histamine, or the relaxing agonist isoproterenol. The relative increase in traction induced by histamine was negatively correlated with the baseline traction. On the contrary, the relative decrease in traction due to isoproterenol was independent of the baseline traction, but it was associated with cell shape: traction decreased more in elongated than in round cells. Maximum cell width, mean cell width, and projected area of the cell were the parameters most tightly coupled to both baseline and histamine-induced traction in this study. Wide and well-spread cells exerted larger traction than slim cells. These results suggest that cell contractility is controlled by cell spreading.
Document ID
20050218921
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Tolic-Norrelykke, Iva Marija
(Harvard School of Public Health 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States)
Wang, Ning
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of biomechanics
Volume: 38
Issue: 7
ISSN: 0021-9290
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: HL-33009
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG2-1509
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Cell Biology

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