Mechanical quantification of the epithelial mesenchymal transition

During EMT (Epithelial mesenchymal transition), cells are under large shape change. The ingress of the cell relies on the debonding between adjacent epithelium and the flexibility change of them. In order to elucidate the mechanical involvement of EMT, it is necessary to investigate the mechanical properties, cell compressive stiffness and extensibility and the adhesion strength between them. The purpose of this study was using special micropipette to quantify the mechanical property transition when the cell type changed. We built a new special micropipette system which could be used to measure both the tension and compression rigidities of cells before and after EMT. We changed the original design of dual micropipettes with strain gauge cell mechanical system into single micropipette with AFM Cantilever tip for force quantification. We had finished the build up of the micropipette system and AFM tip holder with electronic manipulator. The normal mouse mammary gland cells (NMuMGs) had been successfully grabbed by this novel micropipette system and the force displacement curve for axial compression test of NMuMG had been recorded. However, like the most in house design machine, this novel micropipette mechanical system needs further verification in accuracy and calibration.