Abstract

Numerous cell functions are accompanied by phenotypic changes in viscoelastic properties, and measuring them can help elucidate higher-level cellular functions in health and disease. We present a high-throughput, simple and low-cost microfluidic method for quantitatively measuring the elastic (storage) and viscous (loss) modulus of individual cells. Cells are suspended in a high-viscosity fluid and are pumped with high pressure through a 5.8 cm long and 200 μm wide microfluidic channel. The fluid shear stress induces large, near ellipsoidal cell deformations. In addition, the flow profile in the channel causes the cells to rotate in a tank-treading manner. From the cell deformation and tank treading frequency, we extract the frequency-dependent viscoelastic cell properties based on a theoretical framework developed by R. Roscoe that describes the deformation of a viscoelastic sphere in a viscous fluid under steady laminar flow. We confirm the accuracy of the method using atomic force microscopy-calibrated polyacrylamide beads and cells. Our measurements demonstrate that suspended cells exhibit power-law, soft glassy rheological behavior that is cell cycle-dependent and mediated by the physical interplay between the actin filament and intermediate filament networks.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Details

Title
Viscoelastic properties of suspended cells measured with shear flow deformation cytometry
Author
Gerum, Richard Carl; Mirzahossein, Elham; Eroles, Mar; Elsterer, Jennifer; Mainka, Astrid; Bauer, Andreas; Sonntag, Selina; Winterl, Alexander; Bartl, Johannes; Fischer, Lena; Abuhattum, Shada; Goswami, Ruchi; Girardo, Salvatore; Guck, Jochen; Schruefer, Stefan; Stroehlein, Nadine; Nosratlo, Mojtaba; Herrmann, Harald; Schultheis, Dorothea; Rico, Felix; Mueller, Sebastian; Gekle, Stephan; Fabry, Ben
University/institution
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
Section
New Results
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Jan 12, 2022
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
ISSN
2692-8205
Source type
Working Paper
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2619061252
Copyright
© 2022. This article is published under https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ (“the License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.