Mechanical measurement of developing embryo by multi-probe scanning microscopy

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22122
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 29:Applied condensed matter physics and related fields
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: OKAJIMA TAKAHARU 北海道大学, 情報科学研究院, 教授 (70280998)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞力学 / プローブ顕微鏡 / 発生胚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During embryogenesis, the embryonic formation is associated with the mechanical property of cells involving the tension occurring between neighboring cells and the elastic modulus, i.e., deformability of cells. The understanding of cell mechanical behaviors is crucial to elucidate how embryonic cells are regulated by mechanical cues. In this study, we succeeded to measure the spatiotemporal dynamics of the apparent Young’s modulus of cells by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) force-curve technique and the relaxation modulus of cells by approach-retraction force-curve as well as stress relaxation techniques.

Free Research Field

生物物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

受精卵の発生過程は、遺伝子や生化学的な因子に加えて、力学的な因子が重要な役割をしていると考えられているが、その時空間的挙動は未知であった、本研究では、プローブ顕微鏡を用いて発生胚の細胞の力学挙動を1細胞レベルで追跡することに成功した。本研究により、発生胚の胚形成メカニズムの物理的な理解が進展し、再生医療等の発生胚の制御技術の基礎となる。