TY  - EJOU
AU  - SOARES, JULIANA 
AU  - FREITAS, DOUGLAS G. 
AU  - LOURENÇO, PEDRO S. 
AU  - FARIAS, JEFTE 
AU  - PONTES, BRUNO 

TI  - Mechanobiology of the cell surface: Probing its remodeling dynamics using membrane tether pulling assays with optical tweezers
T2  - BIOCELL

PY  - 2022
VL  - 46
IS  - 9
SN  - 1667-5746

AB  - Mammalian cell surfaces consist of the plasma membrane supported by an underneath cortical cytoskeleton.
Together, these structures can control not only the shape of cells but also a series of cellular functions ranging from
migration and division to exocytosis, endocytosis and differentiation. Furthermore, the cell surface is capable of
exerting and reacting to mechanical forces. Its viscoelastic properties, especially membrane tension and bending
modulus, are fundamental parameters involved in these responses. This viewpoint summarizes our current knowledge
on how to measure the viscoelastic properties of cell surfaces employing optical tweezers-based tether assays, paving
the way for a better understanding of how cells react to external mechanical forces, with a glance on their remodeling
dynamics and possible consequences on downstream cellular processes.
KW  - Cell surface architecture
KW  -  Actin cortex
KW  -  Membrane-cytoskeleton complex
KW  -  Optical tweezers
KW  -  Tether extraction

DO  - 10.32604/biocell.2022.019969