Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique for probing local mechanical properties of single cells, which are related to their cytoskeletal structures. To quantify the rheological properties of single cells, we developed AFM techniques combined with micro-fabricated substrates. Studies revealed the statistical feature of complex shear modulus of single cells depending on their cytoskeletal structures, according to a power-law rheology model. Moreover, we investigated how the force exerted at the focal adhesion propagated through cytoskeletal networks between focal adhesions on cell surfaces. The results showed that force through cytoskeletal networks propagated as an elastic manner while the cells exhibited the power-law rheology around the focal adhesions. These studies demonstrate that AFM allows us to explore the mechanical properties of complex materials composed of lipids and proteins such as cytoskeleton in live cells.
