Integration of extracellular and intracellular forces in cell migration

• Applicant: Dr. Achim Besser
• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 168511379

The driving forces of crawling cell motility are derived from the polymerization of filamentous actin and from the contractile activity of myosin molecular motor proteins. Although essential for the understanding of cell motility, little is known as to how cells coordinate these intracellular forces and as to how they regulate force transmission through adhesions to their mechanical environment to generate traction. A recently developed method for the model-based reconstruction of intracellular forces from actin flow fields emerged as promising tool for studying these open questions. The aim of the proposed research project is to test and refine this novel method by matching reconstructed intracellular forces with corresponding extracellular, measured forces. By model regression, we will be able for the first time to determine the viscoelastic properties of the actin cytoskeleton and of adhesions with micrometer resolution. With the improved method we want to resolve the location of motor-driven contraction and polymerization-driven propulsion forces and reveal the feedback mechanisms that regulate the spatiotemporal coordination of these forces. This technique can be used in the future to study complex processes like cancer cell migration, tissue development or wound-healing.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Gaudenz Danuser