Fig. 8

Enhanced cell stiffness, induced by low-magnitude mechanical forces, requires the LINC complex. a Image showing the cantilever of the AFM resting over the nucleus of a single MDA-MB-231 cell and representative plot showing forces generated during the approach and retraction of the borosilicate probe (attached to the cantilever) as a function of distance. b Graph showing quantification of the elastic modulus (E, kPa). Individual cells from three biological replicate assays were tested. The number of cells tested for each group are as follows. Con/siCon: n = 74, LIV/siCon: n = 76, Con/siSUN1/2: n = 85, LIV/siSUN1/2: n = 85. Each data point is from AFM measurements of a single cell. Data points from the same biological replicate are designated by color (red, white, blue). c Representative images of MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to non-vibration control conditions (Con), twice-daily LIV, and either control siRNAs or siRNA oligos targeting SUN1 and SUN2 (siSUN1/2). For each condition, cells were fixed following a 3-h rest period after the last LIV bout and incubated with Phalloidin-conjugated Alexa-Fluor 488 and Dapi to stain for filamentous actin (green) and nuclei (blue) respectively. Images are representative of three biological replicates. Statistical analyses calculated using two-way ANOVA, followed by two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli to control for false discovery rate