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An In Vitro Model System to Test Mechano-microbiological Interactions Between Bacteria and Host Cells

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Cytoskeleton Methods and Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1365))

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to present an innovative technique to visualize changes of the f-actin cytoskeleton in response to locally applied force. We developed an in vitro system that combines micromanipulation of force by magnetic tweezers with simultaneous live cell fluorescence microscopy. We applied pulling forces to magnetic beads coated with the Neisseria gonorrhoeae Type IV pili in the same order of magnitude than the forces generated by live bacteria. We saw quick and robust f-actin accumulation at the sites where pulling forces were applied. Using the magnetic tweezers we were able to mimic the local response of the f-actin cytoskeleton to bacteria-generated forces. In this chapter we describe our magnetic tweezers system and show how to control it in order to study cellular responses to force.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, 307 Ingersoll Hall Extension, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA

    Luís Carlos Santos, Emilia Laura Munteanu & Nicolas Biais

  2. Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Emilia Laura Munteanu

  3. The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Nicolas Biais

  4. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Luís Carlos Santos

Authors
  1. Luís Carlos Santos
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  2. Emilia Laura Munteanu
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  3. Nicolas Biais
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolas Biais .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Ray H. Gavin

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Santos, L.C., Munteanu, E.L., Biais, N. (2016). An In Vitro Model System to Test Mechano-microbiological Interactions Between Bacteria and Host Cells. In: Gavin, R. (eds) Cytoskeleton Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1365. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3124-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3124-8_10

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3123-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3124-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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