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Cell stimulation with optically manipulated microsources

Nature Methods volume 6, pages 905–909 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Molecular gradients are important for various biological processes including the polarization of tissues and cells during embryogenesis and chemotaxis. Investigations of these phenomena require control over the chemical microenvironment of cells. We present a technique to set up molecular concentration patterns that are chemically, spatially and temporally flexible. Our strategy uses optically manipulated microsources, which steadily release molecules. Our technique enables the control of molecular concentrations over length scales down to about 1 μm and timescales from fractions of a second to an hour. We demonstrate this technique by manipulating the motility of single human neutrophils. We induced directed cell polarization and migration with microsources loaded with the chemoattractant formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine. Furthermore, we triggered highly localized retraction of lamellipodia and redirection of polarization and migration with microsources releasing cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization.

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Figure 1: A single optically manipulated bead loaded with chemoattractant induces directed polarization and migration of a neutrophil.
Figure 2: Bipolar stimulation with chemoattractant induced formation and broadening of a lamellipodium.
Figure 3: OMMs of cytochalasin D induced highly localized retraction in the center of a lamellipodium.
Figure 4: Migrating cell squeezes between two optically manipulated microsources of cytochalasin D.
Figure 5: Response of HL-60 cells to time-varying bipolar stimulus of cytochalasin D.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Dandekar, A. Houk, A. Millius and S. Wilson for help with cell culturing and sample preparation, A. Schaefer for helpful discussions, and M. Elimelech and W. Mitch for use of equipment. This work was supported by a fellowship (BMBF-LPD 9901/8-162) from the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to H.K., a US National Institutes of Health grant (1U54-RR0222332) and US National Science Foundation grants (CBET-0619674 and DBI–0619674) to E.R.D., a US National Institutes of Health grant (RO1-GM084040) to O.D.W and a US National Science Foundation CAREER grant (CBET-0747577) to T.M.F.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Spencer S Walse

    Present address: Present address: US Department of Agriculture, Parlier, California, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Holger Kress, Jin-Gyu Park, Cecile O Mejean, Jason D Forster & Eric R Dufresne

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Jason Park & Tarek M Fahmy

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Spencer S Walse, Tarek M Fahmy & Eric R Dufresne

  4. Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Yong Zhang & Dianqing Wu

  5. Department of Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

    Orion D Weiner

  6. Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Eric R Dufresne

  7. Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Eric R Dufresne

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Contributions

H.K. and E.R.D. designed and performed the research, analyzed data and wrote the paper. J.G.P., J.D.F., S.S.W. and O.D.W. performed research and analyzed data. C.O.M. and Y.Z. performed research. J.P. and T.M.F. designed research and contributed new reagents and analytic tools. D.W. designed research.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Holger Kress or Eric R Dufresne.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–10 and Supplementary Notes 1–7 (PDF 8345 kb)

Supplementary Video 1

A single optically manipulated bead which is loaded with chemoattractant is able to induce directed polarization and migration of a neutrophil. An individual PLGA particle loaded with fMLP is optically micromanipulated and moved close to the membrane of a HL-60 cell. The cell starts to polarize and migrate in the direction of the particle. The particle is moved in a counter clockwise way around the cell and the cell is changing its polarization and migration direction in response to the altered particle position. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 355 kb)

Supplementary Video 2

A chemoattractant-loaded particle induces cell motility and change of the direction of migration of a neutrophil. An individual PLGA particle loaded with fMLP is optically micromanipulated and moved close to the membrane of a HL-60 cell. The cell starts to polarize and migrate at an angle of about 45° relative to the gradient direction as defined by the bead position. After about 200 seconds, the cell changes its direction of motion and migrates in the direction of the particle. During this motion, the cell forms a stable lamellipodium at its leading edge. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 883 kb)

Supplementary Video 3

Bipolar stimulation with chemoattractant induces formation and broadening of a lamellipodium. Upon positioning of the fMLP-loaded beads close to a HL-60 cell, the cell forms a lamellipodium in the direction of the beads. As the cell advances, it broadens its lamellipodium approaching both beads. Ultimately, the lamellipodium reaches its maximal size, and the cell orients towards the lower left bead. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 940 kb)

Supplementary Video 4

A control particle does not stimulate a cell response. An individual optically manipulated plain PLGA particle (no fMLP encapsulated) is used to try to stimulate a HL-60 cell. The cell does protrude and retract in varying directions, but it does not protrude or migrate in the direction of the particle. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 574 kb)

Supplementary Video 5

A control particle does not stimulate a cell response. An individual optically manipulated plain PLGA particle (no fMLP encapsulated) is used to try to stimulate a HL-60 cell. The cell does protrude and retract in varying directions, but it does not protrude or migrate in the direction of the particle. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 614 kb)

Supplementary Video 6

Optically manipulated microsources of cytochalasin D induce highly localized retraction in the center of a lamellipodium. Two beads releasing the actin polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin D are positioned close to the center of the lamellipodium of a HL-60 cell. The lamellipodium starts to retract in a small region around the beads yielding a lamellipodium that is split into two parts. Finally, one of the two lamellipodia retracts and only one remains. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 1605 kb)

Supplementary Video 7

Migrating cell squeezes between two optically manipulated microsources of cytochalasin D. The two beads are placed in front of a migrating HL-60 cell. Then, the bead-to-bead distance is increased to about 20 μm. As the cell migrates towards the two particles, the lamellipodium starts to retract on the two sides closest the beads while the central part of the leading edge continues to extend. Finally, the cell rounds up and retracts its leading edge. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 1826 kb)

Supplementary Video 8

Cell response to time-varying bipolar stimulus of cytochalasin D. A HL-60 cell stops its migration and retracts its lamellipodium in response to two cytochalasin-releasing beads which are placed in the direction of cell migration. Then, the two beads are positioned on two opposing ends of the cell in the direction of cell polarization. Subsequently, the cell re-polarizes in a direction perpendicular to the axis defined by the beads. Scale bar, 10 μm. (MOV 945 kb)

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Kress, H., Park, JG., Mejean, C. et al. Cell stimulation with optically manipulated microsources. Nat Methods 6, 905–909 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1400

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