Issue 13, 2021

Mapping mechanical properties of living cells at nanoscale using intrinsic nanopipette–sample force interactions

Abstract

Mechanical properties of living cells determined by cytoskeletal elements play a crucial role in a wide range of biological functions. However, low-stress mapping of mechanical properties with nanoscale resolution but with a minimal effect on the fragile structure of cells remains difficult. Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscopy (SICM) for quantitative nanomechanical mapping (QNM) is based on intrinsic force interactions between nanopipettes and samples and has been previously suggested as a promising alternative to conventional techniques. In this work, we have provided an alternative estimation of intrinsic force and stress and demonstrated the possibility to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of cell nanomechanical properties of a variety of living cells. Force estimation on decane droplets with well-known elastic properties, similar to living cells, revealed that the forces applied using a nanopipette are much smaller than in the case using atomic force microscopy. We have shown that we can perform nanoscale topography and QNM using a scanning procedure with no detectable effect on live cells, allowing long-term QNM as well as detection of nanomechanical properties under drug-induced alterations of actin filaments and microtubulin.

Graphical abstract: Mapping mechanical properties of living cells at nanoscale using intrinsic nanopipette–sample force interactions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Nov 2020
Accepted
19 Feb 2021
First published
26 Feb 2021

Nanoscale, 2021,13, 6558-6568

Mapping mechanical properties of living cells at nanoscale using intrinsic nanopipette–sample force interactions

V. S. Kolmogorov, A. S. Erofeev, E. Woodcock, Y. M. Efremov, A. P. Iakovlev, N. A. Savin, A. V. Alova, S. V. Lavrushkina, I. I. Kireev, A. O. Prelovskaya, E. V. Sviderskaya, D. Scaini, N. L. Klyachko, P. S. Timashev, Y. Takahashi, S. V. Salikhov, Y. N. Parkhomenko, A. G. Majouga, C. R. W. Edwards, P. Novak, Y. E. Korchev and P. V. Gorelkin, Nanoscale, 2021, 13, 6558 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR08349F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements