FIGURE 2.

Use of microfabricated pillar. (a and c) Phase contrast showing cell and pillar shortly before and shortly after pulling. (b and d) Same images (now in blue) overlaid with fluorescence data. REF cells are transiently transfected with CFP-actin (red) and YFP-zyxin (green). (c and d) Shortly after pulling, one can discern the large deformations caused by shifting the pillar. However, the focal adhesions had no time yet to adjust their size to the changed loading situation. The images also show that there are no stress fibers present.