Figure 1.

Differential effects of isotonic and hypotonic solutions on membrane region and deeper cytoskeleton elastic moduli. (Inset) schematic depicting a cell membrane segment illustrating the positions of the membrane (composed of the lipid bilayer/submembrane cytoskeleton complex) and the deeper cytoskeleton. (A) Sections of representative traces of AFM approach force curves for cells exposed to osmotic challenge, with vertical dashed lines demarcating the section fitted to obtain the membrane region elastic modulus. (B) Full representative traces of approach force curves, with a dashed curve indicating the region fitted to obtain elastic moduli of the deeper cytoskeleton. (C) Mean membrane and deeper cytoskeleton elastic moduli of cells exposed to isotonic solution. (D) Histograms of elastic moduli measured in the membrane region of endothelial cells exposed to isotonic (left), hypotonic (center), and hypertonic (right) solutions. (E) Mean membrane region elastic moduli of cells exposed to the conditions described above. (F) Histograms of elastic moduli measured in the deeper cytoskeleton of cells exposed to isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic solutions. (G) Mean deeper cytoskeletal elastic moduli of cells exposed to the same experimental conditions (n = 15–60 cells; p < 0.05). Data was obtained immediately after the onset of osmotic challenge and continued for 25 min. To see this figure in color, go online.