FIG. 3. Aggregate adhesion induces capillary deformations in the substrate.

(A, top) A reconstructed z-slice showing F-actin in a cell aggregate (green) indenting a 0.7 kPa substrate (red). (A, bottom) A schematic showing relative magnitudes of out-of-plane deformations $(l,z)$. (B) z-indentation as a function of radial distance from the center of an aggregate. (C) Mean elasto-capillary length for all aggregates, as a function of substrate stiffness, E. The indentation measured at 8.6 kPa corresponds to noise in the measurement of indentation. (D) Meniscus height as a function of aggregate size on $\mathrm{E}=0.7\mathrm{k}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{a}$. (E) Maximum indentation as a function of scaled contact area, $A/A_0$ for untreated (blue) and 10 μM Blebbistatin treated (red) aggregates. (F) Maximum indentation, $z_{max}$, as a function of aggregate radius, $R_0$. Pharmacological treatment with Blebbistatin vanishes Laplace-like behavior. $0\mu M(\mathrm{n}=75)$, $2\mu M(\mathrm{n}=30)$, $10\mu M(\mathrm{n}=20)$. (G) Diagram of aggregates of different sizes inducing different out-of-plane deformations. Scale bar is $50\mu M$. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. ns is non-significant. $z_0$ is set to 0 for all measurements.