The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Summary

In this work, an in vitro reconstitution approach is employed to study the poroelasticity of actomyosin gels under controlled conditions. The dynamics of the actomyosin gel and the embedded solvent are quantified, through which the network poroelasticity is demonstrated. We also discuss the experimental challenges, common pitfalls, and relevance to cell cytoskeleton mechanics.

Abstract

Cells can actively change their shapes and become motile, a property that depends on their ability to actively reorganize their internal structure. This feature is attributed to the mechanical and dynamic properties of the cell cytoskeleton, notably, the actomyosin cytoskeleton, which is an active gel of polar actin filaments, myosin motors, and accessory proteins that exhibit intrinsic contraction properties. The usually accepted view is that the cytoskeleton behaves as a viscoelastic material. However, this model cannot always explain the experimental results, which are more consistent with a picture describing the cytoskeleton as a poroelastic active material-an elastic network embedded with cytosol. Contractility gradients generated by the myosin motors drive the flow of the cytosol across the gel pores, which infers that the mechanics of the cytoskeleton and the cytosol are tightly coupled. One main feature of poroelasticity is the diffusive relaxation of stresses in the network, characterized by an effective diffusion constant that depends on the gel elastic modulus, porosity, and cytosol (solvent) viscosity. As cells have many ways to regulate their structure and material properties, our current understanding of how cytoskeleton mechanics and cytosol flow dynamics are coupled remains poorly understood. Here, an in vitro reconstitution approach is employed to characterize the material properties of poroelastic actomyosin gels as a model system for the cell cytoskeleton. Gel contraction is driven by myosin motor contractility, which leads to the emergence of a flow of the penetrating solvent. The paper describes how to prepare these gels and run experiments. We also discuss how to measure and analyze the solvent flow and gel contraction both at the local and global scales. The various scaling relations used for data quantification are given. Finally, the experimental challenges and common pitfalls are discussed, including their relevance to cell cytoskeleton mechanics.

Introduction

Living cells have unique mechanical properties. Besides the ability to passively react to applied forces, they are also capable of actively generating forces in response to external stimuli¹. These characteristics, which are essential for a variety of cellular processes, notably during cell motility, are primarily attributed to the mechanical and dynamic properties of the cell cytoskeleton, especially the actomyosin cytoskeleton, which is an active gel of polar actin filaments, myosin molecular motors, and accessory proteins. These actomyosin networks exhibit intrinsic self-organization and contraction properties driven by the myosin motor prot....

Protocol

1. Glass surface treatment and passivation:

NOTE: This section includes three major steps (see Figure 1): (i) cleaning and hydrophilization, (ii) silanization, and (iii) surface passivation.

1. Cleaning and hydrophilization
   1. Use Piranha solution for glass surface cleaning.
      NOTE: Piranha solution is a mixture of 30% H₂O₂ and 70% H₂SO₄ (Table of Materials). Its prime goal is to remove organic contaminations from coverslip surfaces and expose the OH groups on the glass surface. In this manner, the glass surface becomes hydroph....

Results

Two glass coverslips are used per experiment. The glass coverslips are cleaned and passivated with PEG polymers. Passivation is essential for preventing the solubilized proteins from adhering to the glass surfaces at the early experimental stages and for minimizing the interaction of the contracting network with the glass walls. Failure to achieve good passivation can lead to inefficient contraction and, in extreme cases, can even inhibit actin network formation.

Figure 1<.......

Discussion

Here, an in vitro approach is employed to characterize the mechanics of poroelastic actomyosin gels as a model system of the cell cytoskeleton and, more generally, of the cell cytoplasm, which has been shown to behave as a poroelastic material^3,5. The rheology of the cell cytoskeleton (cytoplasm) has been characterized by a poroelastic diffusion constant, which dictates how long it takes for the intracellular cytosolic fluid to redistribute within the ce.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
(3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane	Sigma-Aldrich Company	175617	Stored under Argon atmosphere at 4 °C
Acetic acid	Bio-Lab ltd	1070521
Alexa-Fluor 488	Invitrogene	A10254	Diluted with DMSO, stored under Argon atmosphere at -20 °C
Alexa-Fluor 647	Invitrogene	A20347	Diluted with DMSO, stored under Argon atmosphere at -20 °C
BSA	Sigma -Aldrich Company	A3059	Stored at 4 °C
Catalase	Sigma -Aldrich Company	C9322	The stock bottle is kept under dry atmosphere (silica gel) at -20 °C
Coverslips	Mezel-glaser	CG2222-1.5	Kept in milliQ-water after the Piranha treatment and used within 3 weeks
Creatine kinase	Roche Life Science Products	10736988001	Prepared fresh in glycine buffer, kep on ice, and used within 3 days.  The stock bottle is kept under dry atmosphere (silica gel) at 4 °C
Creatine phosphate	Roche Life Science Products	10621714001	When dissolved should be kept at -20 °C and used within 3 months. The stock bottle is kept under Argon atmosphere and stored at 4 °C
DTT	Roche Life Science Products	10708984001	When dissolved should be kept at -20 °C and used within 3 months
Dual view Simultaneous Imaging System	Photometrics	DV2-CUBE
EGTA	MP Biomedicals	195174
EM-CCD Camera	Andor Technology Ltd	DV 887
EM-CCD Camera	Photometrics	Evolve Delta
Ethanol	Bio-Lab ltd	525050300
Flourescence Lamp	Rapp Optoelectronic
Fluoresbrite YG Microspheres	Polysciences	17151-10	200 nm diameter
Glucose	ICN Biomedicals Inc	194024	When dissolved should be kept at -20 °C and used within 3 months.
Glucose oxidase	Sigma-Aldrich Company	G7141	Kept in -20 °C and used within 3 months. The stock powder is kept under Argon atmosphere and kept at -20 °C
Glycerol	ICN Biomedicals Inc	800687
Glycine	MP Biomedicals	808822
Hydrogen Peroxide	Sigma-Aldrich Company	216763	Stored at 4 °C
KCl	EMD Millipore Corp.	529552
Methanol	Bio-Lab ltd	1368052100
MgCl2	EMD Millipore Corp.	442615
Microscope	Leica Microsystems	DMI3000
mPEG-mal	Nanocs	PG1-ML-5k	Mw = 5000 Da. Divided to small batches by weight. Stored under Argon atmosphere at -20 °C
Nile red microspheres	Spherotech	FP-2056-2	2300 nm diameter
Objective (10x)	Leica Germany	HC PL AP0	UPlanFL Numerical Aperture = 0.3
Objective (2.5x)	Leica Germany	506304	Plan-NEOFLUAR Numerical Aperture = 0.075
Oven	WTC Binder
Parafilm	Amcor	PM-996
PBS Buffer	Sigma-Aldrich Company	P4417
Shutter Driver	Vincet Associates	VMM D1
Silica gel	Merck	1.01907.5000
Sonicator	Elma	Elmasonic P
Sulfuric acid	Carlo Erba reagents	410301
DV2 Dual-Channel Simultaneous-Imaging System	Photometrics
TRIS	MP Biomedicals	819620
UV-VIS Spectrophotometer	Pharmacia	Ultraspec 2100 pro
MICROMAN E	Gilson	FD10001	1–10 uL
MATLAB R2017b	MathWorks		Data quantification
MetaMorph	Molecular devices		Control software of the optical imaging system; data quantification (particle tracking analysis, network mesh size)