Direct Cytoskeleton Forces Cause Membrane Softening in Red Blood Cells

Erythrocytes are flexible cells specialized in the systemic transport of oxygen in vertebrates. This physiological function is connected to their outstanding ability to deform in passing through narrow capillaries. In recent years, there has been an influx of experimental evidence of enhanced cell-s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 2015-06, Vol.108 (12), p.2794-2806
Main Authors: Rodríguez-García, Ruddi, López-Montero, Iván, Mell, Michael, Egea, Gustavo, Gov, Nir S., Monroy, Francisco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cell Biophysics
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cell membranes
Cells, Cultured
Citosquelet
Cytoskeleton
Cytoskeleton - metabolism
Erythrocytes
Erythrocytes - metabolism
Experiments
Hematies
Humans
Membranes
Membranes cel·lulars
Metabolism
Oxygen
Stress, Mechanical
Vertebrates
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Summary:Erythrocytes are flexible cells specialized in the systemic transport of oxygen in vertebrates. This physiological function is connected to their outstanding ability to deform in passing through narrow capillaries. In recent years, there has been an influx of experimental evidence of enhanced cell-shape fluctuations related to metabolically driven activity of the erythroid membrane skeleton. However, no direct observation of the active cytoskeleton forces has yet been reported to our knowledge. Here, we show experimental evidence of the presence of temporally correlated forces superposed over the thermal fluctuations of the erythrocyte membrane. These forces are ATP-dependent and drive enhanced flickering motions in human erythrocytes. Theoretical analyses provide support for a direct force exerted on the membrane by the cytoskeleton nodes as pulses of well-defined average duration. In addition, such metabolically regulated active forces cause global membrane softening, a mechanical attribute related to the functional erythroid deformability.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2015.05.005