Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells

The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is an intricate and complex structure formed by protein filaments, motor proteins, and crosslinkers. The three main types of protein filaments are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments...

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Váldodahkki: Schepers, Anna Veronika
Materiálatiipa: Online
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Almmustuhtton: Universitätsverlag Göttingen 2023
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Liŋkkat:OCN: 1371098186
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author Schepers, Anna Veronika
author_browse Schepers, Anna Veronika
author_facet Schepers, Anna Veronika
author_sort Schepers, Anna Veronika
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is an intricate and complex structure formed by protein filaments, motor proteins, and crosslinkers. The three main types of protein filaments are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments ( IFs ). Whereas the proteins that form microtubules and actin filaments are exceptionally conserved throughout cell types and organisms, the family of IFs is diverse. For example, the IF protein vimentin is expressed in relatively motile fibroblasts, and keratin IFs are found in epithelial cells. This variety of IF proteins might therefore be linked to the various mechanical properties of different cell types. In the scope of this thesis, I combine studies of IF mechanics on different time scales and in systems of increasing complexity, from single filaments to networks in cells. This multiscale approach allows for the simplification necessary to interpret observations while adding increasing physiological context in subsequent experiments. We especially focus on the tunability of the IF mechanics by environmental cues in these increasingly complex systems. In a series of experiments, including single filament elongation studies, single filament stretching measurements with optical tweezers, filament-filament interaction measurements with four optical tweezers, microrheology, and isotropic cell stretching, we characterize how electrostatic (pH and ion concentration) and hydrophobic interactions (detergent) provide various mechanisms by which the mechanics of the IF cytoskeleton can be tuned. These studies reveal how small changes, such as charge shifts, influence IF mechanics on multiple scales. In combination with simulations, we determine the mechanisms by which charge shifts alter single vimentin filament mechanics and we extract energy landscapes for interactions between single filaments. Such insights will provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which cells can maintain their integrity and adapt to the mechanical requirements set by their environment.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-964332025-07-17T12:15:46Z Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells Schepers, Anna Veronika intermediate filaments cell mechanics microrheology thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is an intricate and complex structure formed by protein filaments, motor proteins, and crosslinkers. The three main types of protein filaments are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments ( IFs ). Whereas the proteins that form microtubules and actin filaments are exceptionally conserved throughout cell types and organisms, the family of IFs is diverse. For example, the IF protein vimentin is expressed in relatively motile fibroblasts, and keratin IFs are found in epithelial cells. This variety of IF proteins might therefore be linked to the various mechanical properties of different cell types. In the scope of this thesis, I combine studies of IF mechanics on different time scales and in systems of increasing complexity, from single filaments to networks in cells. This multiscale approach allows for the simplification necessary to interpret observations while adding increasing physiological context in subsequent experiments. We especially focus on the tunability of the IF mechanics by environmental cues in these increasingly complex systems. In a series of experiments, including single filament elongation studies, single filament stretching measurements with optical tweezers, filament-filament interaction measurements with four optical tweezers, microrheology, and isotropic cell stretching, we characterize how electrostatic (pH and ion concentration) and hydrophobic interactions (detergent) provide various mechanisms by which the mechanics of the IF cytoskeleton can be tuned. These studies reveal how small changes, such as charge shifts, influence IF mechanics on multiple scales. In combination with simulations, we determine the mechanisms by which charge shifts alter single vimentin filament mechanics and we extract energy landscapes for interactions between single filaments. Such insights will provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which cells can maintain their integrity and adapt to the mechanical requirements set by their environment. 2023-01-30T04:01:05Z 2023-01-30T04:01:05Z 2023-01-29T04:30:52Z 2022 book book OCN: 1371098186 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/60994 9783863955670 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/96433 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60994/1/GSBP3_Schepers.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60994/1/GSBP3_Schepers.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60994/1/GSBP3_Schepers.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60994/1/GSBP3_Schepers.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60994/1/GSBP3_Schepers.pdf Universitätsverlag Göttingen af9011e0-03b9-4a5c-9ae6-b9da4898d1b2 9783863955670 AG Universitätsverlage open access
spellingShingle intermediate filaments
cell mechanics
microrheology
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
Schepers, Anna Veronika
Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title_full Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title_fullStr Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title_full_unstemmed Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title_short Intermediate Filament Mechanics Across Scales – From Single Filaments to Single Interactions and Networks in Cells
title_sort intermediate filament mechanics across scales from single filaments to single interactions and networks in cells
topic intermediate filaments
cell mechanics
microrheology
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
topic_facet intermediate filaments
cell mechanics
microrheology
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics
url OCN: 1371098186
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