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Micropipette Aspiration for Studying Cellular Mechanosensory Responses and Mechanics

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Book cover Dictyostelium discoideum Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 983))

Abstract

Micropipette aspiration (MPA) is a widely applied method for studying cortical tension and deformability. Based on simple hydrostatic principles, this assay allows the application of a specific magnitude of mechanical stress on cells. This powerful method has revealed insights about cell mechanics and mechanosensing, not only in Dictyostelium discoideum but also in other cell types. In this chapter, we present how to set up a micropipette aspiration system and the experimental procedures for determining cortical tension and mechanosensory responses.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by NIH (GM066817).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Yee-Seir Kee

  2. Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Yee-Seir Kee

  3. Departments of Cell Biology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Douglas N. Robinson

Authors
  1. Yee-Seir Kee
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  2. Douglas N. Robinson
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Correspondence to Douglas N. Robinson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Centre for Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, Köln, 50931, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Ludwig Eichinger

  2. , Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, Montserrat

    Francisco Rivero

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Kee, YS., Robinson, D.N. (2013). Micropipette Aspiration for Studying Cellular Mechanosensory Responses and Mechanics. In: Eichinger, L., Rivero, F. (eds) Dictyostelium discoideum Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 983. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-302-2_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-302-2_20

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-301-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-302-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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