Contractile stress generation by adherent cells is largely determined by the interplay of forces within their cytoskeleton. It is known that actin stress fibers, connected to focal adhesions, provide contractile stress generation, while microtubules and intermediate filaments provide cells compressive stiffness. Recent studies have shown the importance of the interplay between the stress fibers and the intermediate filament vimentin. Therefore, the effect of the interplay between the stress fibers and vimentin on stress generation was quantified in this study. We hypothesized that net stress generation comprises the stress fiber contraction combined with the vimentin resistance. We expected an increased net stress in vimentin knockout (VimKO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) compared to their wild-type (vimentin wild-type (VimWT)) counterparts, due to the decreased resistance against stress fiber contractility. To test this, the net stress generation by VimKO and VimWT MEFs was determined using the thin film method combined with sample-specific finite element modeling. Additionally, focal adhesion and stress fiber organization were examined via immunofluorescent staining. Net stress generation of VimKO MEFs was three-fold higher compared to VimWT MEFs. No differences in focal adhesion size or stress fiber organization and orientation were found between the two cell types. This suggests that the increased net stress generation in VimKO MEFs was caused by the absence of the resistance that vimentin provides against stress fiber contraction. Taken together, these data suggest that vimentin resists the stress fiber contractility, as hypothesized, thus indicating the importance of vimentin in regulating cellular stress generation by adherent cells.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
June 2018
Research-Article
The Mechanical Contribution of Vimentin to Cellular Stress Generation
Inge A. E. W. van Loosdregt,
Inge A. E. W. van Loosdregt
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: i.a.e.w.v.loosdregt@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: i.a.e.w.v.loosdregt@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Giulia Weissenberger,
Giulia Weissenberger
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven MB 5600, The Netherlands
e-mail: g.weissenberger@student.tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven MB 5600, The Netherlands
e-mail: g.weissenberger@student.tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Marc P. F. H. L. van Maris,
Marc P. F. H. L. van Maris
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.v.maris@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.v.maris@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Cees W. J. Oomens,
Cees W. J. Oomens
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.w.j.oomens@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.w.j.oomens@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Sandra Loerakker,
Sandra Loerakker
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: s.loerakker@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: s.loerakker@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Oscar M. J. A. Stassen,
Oscar M. J. A. Stassen
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: o.m.j.a.stassen@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: o.m.j.a.stassen@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Carlijn V. C. Bouten
Carlijn V. C. Bouten
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.v.c.bouten@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.v.c.bouten@tue.nl
Search for other works by this author on:
Inge A. E. W. van Loosdregt
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: i.a.e.w.v.loosdregt@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: i.a.e.w.v.loosdregt@tue.nl
Giulia Weissenberger
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven MB 5600, The Netherlands
e-mail: g.weissenberger@student.tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven MB 5600, The Netherlands
e-mail: g.weissenberger@student.tue.nl
Marc P. F. H. L. van Maris
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.v.maris@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.v.maris@tue.nl
Cees W. J. Oomens
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.w.j.oomens@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.w.j.oomens@tue.nl
Sandra Loerakker
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: s.loerakker@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: s.loerakker@tue.nl
Oscar M. J. A. Stassen
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: o.m.j.a.stassen@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: o.m.j.a.stassen@tue.nl
Carlijn V. C. Bouten
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.v.c.bouten@tue.nl
Eindhoven University of Technology,
P.O. Box 513,
Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.v.c.bouten@tue.nl
Manuscript received September 19, 2017; final manuscript received January 26, 2018; published online March 21, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Nathan Sniadecki.
J Biomech Eng. Jun 2018, 140(6): 061006 (10 pages)
Published Online: March 21, 2018
Article history
Received:
September 19, 2017
Revised:
January 26, 2018
Citation
van Loosdregt, I. A. E. W., Weissenberger, G., van Maris, M. P. F. H. L., Oomens, C. W. J., Loerakker, S., Stassen, O. M. J. A., and Bouten, C. V. C. (March 21, 2018). "The Mechanical Contribution of Vimentin to Cellular Stress Generation." ASME. J Biomech Eng. June 2018; 140(6): 061006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039308
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Evaluation of an Unloading Concept for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study in a Small Patient Group
J Biomech Eng (January 2024)
Related Articles
Single-Cell Migration in Complex Microenvironments: Mechanics and Signaling Dynamics
J Biomech Eng (February,2016)
Bioactive Magnetoelastic Materials as Coatings for Implantable Biomaterials
J. Med. Devices (June,2009)
The Nuclear Option: Evidence Implicating the Cell Nucleus in Mechanotransduction
J Biomech Eng (February,2017)
Cellular Microbiaxial Stretching to Measure a Single-Cell Strain Energy Density Function
J Biomech Eng (July,2017)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Surface Analysis and Tools
Tribology of Mechanical Systems: A Guide to Present and Future Technologies
Stiffening Mechanisms
Introduction to Plastics Engineering
Novel and Efficient Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Analysis and Architecting of Ultralight Cellular Materials and their Macrostructural Responses
Advances in Computers and Information in Engineering Research, Volume 2