Summary table of mechanical properties measured on living cells
| T-cell subtype | Cell immobilization | Method and specifications | Mechanical properties | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurkat T cells | Microfabricated wells | AFM •Number of cells: 37 •Pyramidal and colloidal (R = 5 μm) indenters •Spring constant: 0.009–0.011 N/m •Setpoint: 800 pN or indentation: 3 μm •Loading rate: 415 nm/s •Curve for fitting: approach •Hertz and liquid droplet models •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Cell diameter •11.5 ± 1.5 μm Nucleus:cell ratio •55 ± 8% Young’s modulus •48 ± 35 Pa Cortical tension •21 ± 13 pN/um | (Rosenbluth et al., 2006) |
| Lymph node cells of BALB/c mice •Resting •Activated (ConA) •Apoptotic (Dex) | – | AFM •Number of cells: – •Indenter radius <10 nm •Spring constant: 0.01 N/m •Setpoint: – •Loading rate: – •Curve for fitting: – •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Cell diameter •Resting: 6–8 μm •Activated: 8–10 μm •Apoptotic: 5–7 μm Cell height •Resting: 1–1.5 μm (smooth) •Activated: 1.5–2 μm (rough) •Apoptotic: 0.8–1 μm (rough) Young’s modulus •Resting: 11.2 ± 5.9 kPa •Activated: 19.7 ± 4 kPa •Apoptotic: 7.1 ± 4.1 kPa | (Hu et al., 2009) |
| Jurkat T cells Lymphocyte cells from peripheral vein of healthy volunteer donors | – | AFM •Number of cells: 30–40 per cell type •Indenter radius <10 nm •Spring constant: 0.01 N/m •Setpoint: – •Loading rate: – •Curve for fitting: – •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Young’s modulus before actin depolymerization •Jurkat: 0.23 ± 0.04 kPa •Lymphocyte: 1.24 ± 0.09 kPa Young’s modulus after actin depolymerization (20 μg/ml Cyt-B) •Jurkat: 0.51 ± 0.06 kPa •Lymphocyte: 0.34 ± 0.04 kPa | (Cai et al., 2010) |
| Jurkat T cells Primary CD4+ T cells | 200 µg/ml fibronectin | Single microplate assay •Number of cells: eight Jurkat cells; – for primary CD4+ T cells •Compression: 15–20% •Estimation of static Young’s modulus from dynamic measurements •Viscoelastic properties three-decade sweep from 0.02- to 6.4-Hz oscillations (power law) | Young’s modulus •Jurkat: 90 ± 10 Pa •Primary CD4+ T cells: 85 ± 5 Pa Storage modulus (G′0) •Jurkat: 80 + 70/-40 Pa •Primary CD4+ T cells: – Loss modulus (G’’0) •Jurkat: 60 ± 10 Pa •Primary CD4+ T cells: – | (Bufi et al., 2015) |
| Jurkat T cells | 0.02% (200 µg/ml) PLL | AFM •Number of cells: – •Colloidal (R = 2.5 µm) indenter •Spring constant: 0.01 N/m •Setpoint: 0.2 nN •Loading rate: – •Curve for fitting: approach •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Young’s modulus •CD4- cells: 175 ± 18.4 Pa •CD4+ cells: 108.8 ± 9.1 Pa | (Bui and Nguyen, 2016) |
| Jurkat T cells PWBCs from healthy volunteers | PLL | AFM •Number of cells: 10–15 •Pyramidal (R = 20 nm) indenter •Spring constant: 0.01 N/m •Setpoint: – •Loading rate: – •Curve for fitting: approach •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Young’s modulus •Jurkat at 25°C: 1.37 ± 0.55 and 2.72 ± 0.46 kPa •Jurkat at 37°C: 0.95 ± 0.28 kPa •PWBC at 25°C: 3.17 ± 1.23 kPa •PWBC at 37°C: 2.68 ± 1.24 kPa | (Li et al., 2015) |
| Activated CD8+ T cells | Cells allowed to settle at the bottom of the chamber | Micromanipulation •Number of cells: 20 in each sample (diff. donors) •Spherical (R = 25 µm) indenter •Indentation frequency: 50 Hz •Indentation speed: 2 µm/s •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Rupture force •Day 0: 2.3 ± 0.8 µN •Day 2: 2.6 ± 0.9 µN •Day 4: 4.6 ± 1.6 µN Rupture stress/tension •Day 0: 0.58 ± 0.07 N/m •Day 2: 0.45 ± 0.07 N/m •Day 4: 0.62 ± 0.1 N/m Young’s modulus •Day 0 (resting): 58 ± 6.3 kPa •Day 2 (after activation): 43.7 ± 5 kPa •Day 4 (after activation): 43 ± 6.3 kPa | (Du et al., 2017) |
| 3A9m T cells | 0.01 and 0.1% PLL 50 ug/ml anti-CD45 | AFM •Number of cells: – •Spherical (R = 2.5 µm) indenter •Spring constant: – •Setpoint: 0.5 nN •Loading rate: 2 µm/s •Curve for fitting: approach •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Young’s modulus •Young’s modulus values of hundreds of Pa •Circular patterns of anti-CD45 do not affect T-cell mechanics at 37°C •Young’s modulus decreases at 37°C compared with 25°C •The smaller the patterned area, the smaller the Young’s modulus | (Sadoun et al., 2021) |
| Jurkat T cells | 0.02% (200 µg/ml) PLL | AFM •Number of cells: – •Spherical (R = 2.15 µm) indenter •Spring constant: 0.01 N/m •Setpoint: 0.2 nN •Loading rate: – •Curve for fitting: approach •Hertz model •Poisson’s ratio: 0.5 | Young’s modulus •Nondividing cell: 134.5 ± 2.8 Pa •Interphase: nonsignificant change •Metaphase–telophase: increase •Mitosis: max Young’s modulus •End of division: gradual return | (Bui and Nguyen, 2023) |
| T-cell subtype | Cell immobilization | Method and specifications | Mechanical properties | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurkat T cells | Microfabricated wells | AFM | Cell diameter | ( |
| Lymph node cells of BALB/c mice | – | AFM | Cell diameter | ( |
| Jurkat T cells | – | AFM | Young’s modulus before actin depolymerization | ( |
| Jurkat T cells | 200 µg/ml fibronectin | Single microplate assay | Young’s modulus | ( |
| Jurkat T cells | 0.02% (200 µg/ml) PLL | AFM | Young’s modulus | ( |
| Jurkat T cells | PLL | AFM | Young’s modulus | ( |
| Activated CD8+ T cells | Cells allowed to settle at the bottom of the chamber | Micromanipulation | Rupture force | ( |
| 3A9m T cells | 0.01 and 0.1% PLL | AFM | Young’s modulus | ( |
| Jurkat T cells | 0.02% (200 µg/ml) PLL | AFM | Young’s modulus | ( |
AFM, atomic force microscopy; ConA, concanavalin A; Dex, dexamethasone; Cyt-B, cytochalasin B; PLL, poly-L-lysine; PWBCs, peripheral white blood cells.