Molecular and cellular level characterization of cytoskeletal mechanics using a quartz crystal microbalance

Authors

Emily M. Kerivan, University of Mississippi
Lyle Tobin, University of Mississippi
Mihir Basil, University of Mississippi
Dana N. Reinemann, University of Mississippi

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-5-2023

Abstract

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is an instrument that has the ability to measure nanogram-level changes in mass on a quartz sensor and is traditionally used to probe surface interactions and assembly kinetics of synthetic systems. The addition of dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) facilitates the study of viscoelastic systems, such as those relevant to molecular and cellular mechanics. Due to real-time recording of frequency and dissipation changes and single protein-level precision, the QCM-D is effective in interrogating the viscoelastic properties of cell surfaces and in vitro cellular components. However, few studies focus on the application of this instrument to cytoskeletal systems, whose dynamic parts create interesting emergent mechanics as ensembles that drive essential tasks, such as division and motility. Here, we review the ability of the QCM-D to characterize key kinetic and mechanical features of the cytoskeleton through in vitro reconstitution and cellular assays and outline how QCM-D studies can yield insightful mechanical data alone and in tandem with other biophysical characterization techniques.

Relational Format

journal article

Recommended Citation

Kerivan, E. M., Tobin, L., Basil, M., & Reinemann, D. N. (2023). Molecular and cellular level characterization of cytoskeletal mechanics using a quartz crystal microbalance. Cytoskeleton, 80(5–6), 100–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/cm.21752

DOI

10.1002/cm.21752

Accessibility Status

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