Figure 2.

Statistical evaluation of the adhesion-breaking force between a mast cell and a neurite. (a) Representative result of breaking of the adhesion between a mast cell and neurite. The laser focal point was sequentially moved closer to the mast cell, as indicated by the X marks on the dashed arrow in the photograph at right. (b) Histograms of the threshold distance between the laser focal point and the mast cell to break the adhesion. Green and gray bars indicate individual differences in L^th_N-M and L^th_M-S, respectively. The time on the top of the graph is the coculturing time. (c) Histograms of the adhesion breaking force. Red and gray bars indicate individual differences in F^break_N-M and F^break_M-S, respectively. The threshold distances in (b) were converted to adhesion-breaking forces by Eq. 2, with the same coculturing times as in (b). To see this figure in color, go online.