Applications of traction force microscopy in measuring adhesion molecule dependent cell contractility

This work describes the use of polyacrylamide hydrogels as controlled elastic modulus substrates for single cell traction force microscopy studies. The first section describes the use of EDC/NHS chemistry to convalently link microbeads to the hydrogel matrix for the purpose of performing long-term traction force studies (7 days). The final study uses the C2C12 cell line to demonstrate that integrin-mediated adhesion to soft substrates causes different cell behavior than N-cahderin-mediated adhesion to soft substrates. Cells plated on laminin-coated hydrogels exhibited stiffness dependent increases in cell spreading, whereas cells plated on N-cadherin-coated substrates. Similarly, cells plated on laminin-coated substrates exhibited substrate stiffness dependent increases in normalized net contractile moment, however the same cells plated on N-cadherin-coated substrates were unable to deform any but the softest hydrogels.