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. 2020 Aug 17;42(3):323–339. doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-0494-3

Fig. 9. Imaging the morphology and measuring the mechanics of basement membranes by AFM.

Fig. 9

a Basement membrane localization and composition. I Basement membrane underlies or surround most tissues such as epithelial. II The self-assembling polymeric networks of type IV collagen and laminin provide basement membranes with their core structure and these networks associate with each other through interactions (denoted by arrows) with bridging adapter proteins, such as perlecan and nidogen. The laminin network is closely associated with cell surface through interactions with integrins and dystroglycan receptors as well as sulfated glycolipids. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [132]. Copyright 2017 Elsevier Inc. b AFM revealing the dynamic mechanics of basement membranes during the invasion process of tumor cells. AFM height images of the basement membranes without growing cells (I) and basement membranes treated by cancer cells (CCs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) (II). Statistical histograms of the changes in roughness (III) and stiffness (IV) of basement membranes after growing cells. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [136]. Copyright 2017 Springer Nature.