Fig. 8
From: Bimodal sensing of guidance cues in mechanically distinct microenvironments
Physical and molecular mechanisms governing bimodal sensing of contact guidance cues in carcinoma cells. a–c Summary of the bimodal cellular guidance sensing response for a control conditions, b disruption of microtubules, and c Arp2/3 and FAK inhibition, respectively, demonstrating a bimodal response for sensing guidance cues that depends on the magnitude of cell traction forces and two parallel contractile force-dependent mechanisms where FAK regulates the response in contractile cells and Arp2/3 regulates sensing in the low-traction state. The corresponding n values for a–c are shown in Supplementary Figure 10b. d Model of the carcinoma cell-sensing response in the contractile elastic state and the more fluidic-like, low-traction dendritic state where protrusive forces from branched actin network dynamics drive adhesion-directed sensing of guidance cues. Number of replicates (independent experiments) for all measurement N = 5. Data are mean ± s.d., ns: no significant difference between groups, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001 (ANOVA). See also Supplementary Figure 10b for the raw data of population-wide individual cell spreading length measurements compiled into distribution diagrams
