1
|
Cheung BCH, Abbed RJ, Wu M, Leggett SE. 3D Traction Force Microscopy in Biological Gels: From Single Cells to Multicellular Spheroids. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2024; 26:93-118. [PMID: 38316064 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-103122-031130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Cell traction force plays a critical role in directing cellular functions, such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Current understanding of cell traction force is largely derived from 2D measurements where cells are plated on 2D substrates. However, 2D measurements do not recapitulate a vital aspect of living systems; that is, cells actively remodel their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), and the remodeled ECM, in return, can have a profound impact on cell phenotype and traction force generation. This reciprocal adaptivity of living systems is encoded in the material properties of biological gels. In this review, we summarize recent progress in measuring cell traction force for cells embedded within 3D biological gels, with an emphasis on cell-ECM cross talk. We also provide perspectives on tools and techniques that could be adapted to measure cell traction force in complex biochemical and biophysical environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C H Cheung
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
| | - Rana J Abbed
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA;
| | - Mingming Wu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
| | - Susan E Leggett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA;
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Denisin AK, Kim H, Riedel-Kruse IH, Pruitt BL. Field Guide to Traction Force Microscopy. Cell Mol Bioeng 2024; 17:87-106. [PMID: 38737454 PMCID: PMC11082129 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-024-00801-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Traction force microscopy (TFM) is a widely used technique to measure cell contractility on compliant substrates that mimic the stiffness of human tissues. For every step in a TFM workflow, users make choices which impact the quantitative results, yet many times the rationales and consequences for making these decisions are unclear. We have found few papers which show the complete experimental and mathematical steps of TFM, thus obfuscating the full effects of these decisions on the final output. Methods Therefore, we present this "Field Guide" with the goal to explain the mathematical basis of common TFM methods to practitioners in an accessible way. We specifically focus on how errors propagate in TFM workflows given specific experimental design and analytical choices. Results We cover important assumptions and considerations in TFM substrate manufacturing, substrate mechanical properties, imaging techniques, image processing methods, approaches and parameters used in calculating traction stress, and data-reporting strategies. Conclusions By presenting a conceptual review and analysis of TFM-focused research articles published over the last two decades, we provide researchers in the field with a better understanding of their options to make more informed choices when creating TFM workflows depending on the type of cell being studied. With this review, we aim to empower experimentalists to quantify cell contractility with confidence. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-024-00801-6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Honesty Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
- Present Address: The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and (by courtesy) Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Ingmar H. Riedel-Kruse
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and (by courtesy) Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Beth L. Pruitt
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gómez-de-Mariscal E, Del Rosario M, Pylvänäinen JW, Jacquemet G, Henriques R. Harnessing artificial intelligence to reduce phototoxicity in live imaging. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261545. [PMID: 38324353 PMCID: PMC10912813 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopy is essential for studying living cells, tissues and organisms. However, the fluorescent light that switches on fluorescent molecules also harms the samples, jeopardizing the validity of results - particularly in techniques such as super-resolution microscopy, which demands extended illumination. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software capable of denoising, image restoration, temporal interpolation or cross-modal style transfer has great potential to rescue live imaging data and limit photodamage. Yet we believe the focus should be on maintaining light-induced damage at levels that preserve natural cell behaviour. In this Opinion piece, we argue that a shift in role for AIs is needed - AI should be used to extract rich insights from gentle imaging rather than recover compromised data from harsh illumination. Although AI can enhance imaging, our ultimate goal should be to uncover biological truths, not just retrieve data. It is essential to prioritize minimizing photodamage over merely pushing technical limits. Our approach is aimed towards gentle acquisition and observation of undisturbed living systems, aligning with the essence of live-cell fluorescence microscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joanna W. Pylvänäinen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Guillaume Jacquemet
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku 20500, Finland
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku Bioimaging, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku 20520, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, Åbo Akademi University, Turku 20100, Finland
| | - Ricardo Henriques
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
- UCL Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kratz FS, Möllerherm L, Kierfeld J. Enhancing robustness, precision, and speed of traction force microscopy with machine learning. Biophys J 2023; 122:3489-3505. [PMID: 37525464 PMCID: PMC10502481 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Traction patterns of adherent cells provide important information on their interaction with the environment, cell migration, or tissue patterns and morphogenesis. Traction force microscopy is a method aimed at revealing these traction patterns for adherent cells on engineered substrates with known constitutive elastic properties from deformation information obtained from substrate images. Conventionally, the substrate deformation information is processed by numerical algorithms of varying complexity to give the corresponding traction field via solution of an ill-posed inverse elastic problem. We explore the capabilities of a deep convolutional neural network as a computationally more efficient and robust approach to solve this inversion problem. We develop a general purpose training process based on collections of circular force patches as synthetic training data, which can be subjected to different noise levels for additional robustness. The performance and the robustness of our approach against noise is systematically characterized for synthetic data, artificial cell models, and real cell images, which are subjected to different noise levels. A comparison with state-of-the-art Bayesian Fourier transform traction cytometry reveals the precision, robustness, and speed improvements achieved by our approach, leading to an acceleration of traction force microscopy methods in practical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix S Kratz
- Department of Physics, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Lars Möllerherm
- Department of Physics, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan Kierfeld
- Department of Physics, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Monfared S, Ravichandran G, Andrade J, Doostmohammadi A. Mechanical basis and topological routes to cell elimination. eLife 2023; 12:82435. [PMID: 37070647 PMCID: PMC10112887 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell layers eliminate unwanted cells through the extrusion process, which underlines healthy versus flawed tissue behaviors. Although several biochemical pathways have been identified, the underlying mechanical basis including the forces involved in cellular extrusion remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a phase-field model of a three-dimensional cell layer, we study the interplay of cell extrusion with cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions in a flat monolayer. Independent tuning of cell-cell versus cell-substrate adhesion forces reveals that extrusion events can be distinctly linked to defects in nematic and hexatic orders associated with cellular arrangements. Specifically, we show that by increasing relative cell-cell adhesion forces the cell monolayer can switch between the collective tendency towards fivefold, hexatic, disclinations relative to half-integer, nematic, defects for extruding a cell. We unify our findings by accessing three-dimensional mechanical stress fields to show that an extrusion event acts as a mechanism to relieve localized stress concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Monfared
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Guruswami Ravichandran
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - José Andrade
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Joshi R, Han SB, Cho WK, Kim DH. The role of cellular traction forces in deciphering nuclear mechanics. Biomater Res 2022; 26:43. [PMID: 36076274 PMCID: PMC9461125 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-022-00289-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular forces exerted on the extracellular matrix (ECM) during adhesion and migration under physiological and pathological conditions regulate not only the overall cell morphology but also nuclear deformation. Nuclear deformation can alter gene expression, integrity of the nuclear envelope, nucleus-cytoskeletal connection, chromatin architecture, and, in some cases, DNA damage responses. Although nuclear deformation is caused by the transfer of forces from the ECM to the nucleus, the role of intracellular organelles in force transfer remains unclear and a challenging area of study. To elucidate nuclear mechanics, various factors such as appropriate biomaterial properties, processing route, cellular force measurement technique, and micromanipulation of nuclear forces must be understood. In the initial phase of this review, we focused on various engineered biomaterials (natural and synthetic extracellular matrices) and their manufacturing routes along with the properties required to mimic the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we discussed the principle of tools used to measure the cellular traction force generated during cell adhesion and migration, followed by recently developed techniques to gauge nuclear mechanics. In the last phase of this review, we outlined the principle of traction force microscopy (TFM), challenges in the remodeling of traction forces, microbead displacement tracking algorithm, data transformation from bead movement, and extension of 2-dimensional TFM to multiscale TFM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Joshi
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seong-Beom Han
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Won-Ki Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Dong-Hwee Kim
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea. .,Department of Integrative Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Establishment of a system evaluating the contractile force of electrically stimulated myotubes from wrinkles formed on elastic substrate. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13818. [PMID: 35970858 PMCID: PMC9378739 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17548-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle weakness is detrimental not only to quality of life but also life expectancy. However, effective drugs have still not been developed to improve and prevent muscle weakness associated with aging or diseases. One reason for the delay in drug discovery is that no suitable in vitro screening system has been established to test whether drugs improve muscle strength. Here, we used a specific deformable silicone gel substrate to effectively and sensitively evaluate the contractile force generated by myotubes from wrinkles formed on the substrate. Using this system, it was found that the contractile force generated by an atrophic phenotype of myotubes induced by dexamethasone or cancer cell-conditioned medium treatment significantly decreased while that generated by hypertrophic myotubes induced by insulin-like growth factor-1 significantly increased. Notably, it was found that changes in the index related to contractile force can detect atrophic or hypertrophic phenotypes more sensitively than changes in myotube diameter or myosin heavy chain expression, both commonly used to evaluate myotube function. These results suggest that our proposed system will be an effective tool for assessing the contractile force-related state of myotubes, which are available for the development of drugs to prevent and/or treat muscle weakness.
Collapse
|