Focal adhesion stress on substrate

Value 5.5 nN/µm^2 Range: ±2 nN/µm^2
Organism Mammalian tissue culture cell
Reference Balaban NQ et al., Force and focal adhesion assembly: a close relationship studied using elastic micropatterned substrates. Nat Cell Biol. 2001 May3(5):466-72 abstract and p.469 right column top paragraphPubMed ID11331874
Method A method combining micropatterning of elastomer substrates and fluorescence imaging of focal adhesions in live cells expressing GFP-tagged vinculin.
Comments p.469 left column bottom paragraph:"The relationship between force and area in all focal adhesions at all time points is plotted in Fig. 5e (each symbol represents a different focal adhesion). The correlation seen at t = 0 (Fig. 5a) is now more apparent and the determined linear dependence defines a constant stress, Pf=5.5±2nN/µm^2, applied at the focal adhesions. Extrapolation of this linear dependence to zero force shows that the tension-independent area of focal adhesions is ~µm^2. This residual area is similar to the typical size of focal complexes, which are the precursors of the larger adhesions formed once force is applied [ref 12]." Human foreskin fibroblasts and primary neonatal rat cardiomyocyte and cardiac fibroblasts cell cultures.
Entered by Ronen Zaidel-Bar
ID 100620