Figure 4.

Strain from cell-generated matrix deformation is dependent on the extent of confinement. (A) Average of maximum bead displacements from when the cell is absent to when the cell is present in the leading, middle, and rear region of the cell, with black indicating partially confined cells, and gray indicating fully confined cells. (B) Average bead displacement as a function distance of the bead from the cell centroid with significance displayed and (C) maximum bead displacement as a function of cell aspect ratio was measured as the major axis divided by the minor axis of the cell, with circular points denote partially confined cells, square points denote fully confined cells. (D and E) Overlay images of beads when the cell is absent (blue position) and when the cell is present (red position) with cell position outlined in yellow, representative image of partially confined (D) and fully confined (E) cells with dashed white lines indicating leading, middle, and rear regions, both cells moving left, indicated by black arrow. The direction of bead displacement is indicated by white arrows. Scale bars, 20 μm; n = 20 cells per condition, and ∼100 beads per cell were tracked. To see this figure in color, go online.