Quantitative Analysis of the Viscoelastic Properties of Thin Regions of Fibroblasts Using Atomic Force Microscopy

AbstractViscoelasticity of the leading edge, i.e., the lamellipodium, of a cell is the key property for a deeper understanding of the active extension of a cell's leading edge. The fact that the lamellipodium of a cell is very thin (<1000nm) imparts special challenges for accurate measurements of its viscoelastic behavior. It requires addressing strong substrate effects and comparatively high stresses (>1kPa) on thin samples. We present the method for an atomic force microscopy-based microrheology that allows us to fully quantify the viscoelastic constants (elastic storage modulus, viscous loss modulus, and the Poisson ratio) of thin areas of a cell (