Black Dots: Microcontact-Printed, Reference-Free Traction Force Microscopy
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Beussman, Kevin M., Molly Y. Mollica, Andrea Leonard, Jeffrey Miles, John Hocter, Zizhen Song, Moritz Stolla, et al. “Black Dots: High-Yield Traction Force Microscopy Reveals Structural Factors Contributing to Platelet Forces.” Acta Biomaterialia, The Mechanics of Cells and Fibers, 163 (June 1, 2023): 302–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2021.11.013.
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Abstract
Measuring the traction forces produced by cells provides insight into their behavior and physiological function. Here, we developed a technique (dubbed ‘black dots’) that microcontact prints a fluorescent micropattern onto a flexible substrate to measure cellular traction forces without constraining cell shape or needing to detach the cells. To demonstrate our technique, we assessed human platelets, which can generate a large range of forces within a population. We find platelets that exert more force have more spread area, are more circular, and have more uniformly distributed F-actin filaments. As a result of the high yield of data obtainable by this technique, we were able to evaluate multivariate mixed effects models with interaction terms and conduct a clustering analysis to identify clusters within our data. These statistical techniques demonstrated a complex relationship between spread area, circularity, F-actin dispersion, and platelet force, including cooperative effects that significantly associate with platelet traction forces.