Applications of atomic force microscopy in immunology

Abstract

Cellular mechanics, a major regulating factor of cellular architecture and biological functions, responds to intrinsic stresses and extrinsic forces exerted by other cells and the extracellular matrix in the microenvironment. Cellular mechanics also acts as a fundamental mediator in complicated immune responses, such as cell migration, immune cell activation, and pathogen clearance. The principle of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and its three running modes are introduced for the mechanical characterization of living cells. The peak force tapping mode provides the most delicate and desirable virtues to collect high-resolution images of morphology and force curves. For a concrete description of AFM capabilities, three AFM applications are discussed. These applications include the dynamic progress of a neutrophil-extracellular-trap release by neutrophils, the immunological functions of macrophages, and the membrane pore formation mediated by perforin, streptolysin O, gasdermin D, or membrane attack complex.

Keywords

cellular mechanics / atomic force microscopy / neutrophil extracellular trap / macrophage phagocytosis / pore formation

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81788101) and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Initiative for Innovative Medicine (CAMS-I2M) (No. 2016-I2M-1-007). This work was partially supported by the project of “Research on the Passive Micro Sensor Components and Systems Applied in SF6 Detection” (No. 54681618002400k0000000).

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Jiping Li, Yuying Liu, Yidong Yuan, and Bo Huang declared no conflict of interest. This manuscript is a review article and does not involve a research protocol requiring approval by the relevant institutional review board or ethics committee.

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