Abstract
Cell adhesion is an essential prerequisite for survival, communication, and navigation of cells in organisms. It is maintained by the organized binding of molecules from the cell membrane to the extracellular space. This chapter focuses on direct measurements of cellular binding strength at the level of single adhesion molecules. Using atomic force microscopy-based force measurements, adhesion strength can be monitored as a function of adhesion time and environmental conditions. In this way, cellular adhesion strategies like changes in affinity and avidity of adhesion molecules (e.g., integrins) are characterized as well as the molecular arrangement of adhesion molecules in the cell membrane (e.g., molecular clusters, focal adhesion spots, and linkage to the cytoskeleton or tether). Some prominent values for the data evaluation are presented as well as constraints and preparative techniques for successful cell adhesion force experiments.
Key words
- Cell adhesion
- Affinity
- Anchoring
- Cell membrane
- Cytoskeleton
- Force measurement
- Focal adhesion
- Living cells
- Force sensor modifications
- Clustering
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the people involved in the projects described in this chapter, namely, Hermann Gaub, Günther Gerisch, Joachim Spatz, Horst Kessler, Angelika Kardinal, Thomas Nicolaus, and Michael Thie. Furthermore, we thankfully dedicate this chapter to Kristin Michael.
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Benoit, M., Selhuber-Unkel, C. (2011). Measuring Cell Adhesion Forces: Theory and Principles. In: Braga, P., Ricci, D. (eds) Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 736. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-105-5_21
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