Intracellular stress propagation

• Project/Area Number: 19K22400
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 43:Biology at molecular to cellular levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: Tanimoto Hirokazu 横浜市立大学, 理学部, 准教授 (60784907)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,500,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000)
• Keywords: 生物物理学 / 細胞生物物理学

Outline of Research at the Start

細胞内磁気ピンセットを用いてアクチン骨格上における機械的力の伝播様式を解明することで、細胞スケールから個体形成過程までの生体運動を支配する力学的原理を確立することを目指す。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The principal investigator boldly used high-power intracellular magnetic tweezers (Orii and Tanimoto, under revision) developed during the research period with an attracting force microscope, and the perturbing external force applied inside the cells still detected changes in the surface stress of the cells. This is an experimental system on display worldwide that can quantitatively capture how mechanical forces generated within cells reach the cell surface.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞の中で働く機械的力の時空間動態を解明することは、メカノバイオロジー・生体力学分野の最重要課題の１つである。本研究課題は細胞内で生じた機械的力が細胞表面まで到達する様子を定量的に捉えることに世界で初めて成功した。