dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaA master relation defines the nonlinear viscoelasticity of single fibroblasts
| Authors | Pablo Fernandez, Pramod A. Pullarkat, Albrecht Ott |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0603119 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0603119 |
| DOI | 10.1529/biophysj.105.072215 |
Abstract
Cell mechanical functions like locomotion, contraction and division are controlled by the cytoskeleton, a dynamic biopolymer network whose mechanical properties remain poorly understood. We perform single-cell uniaxial stretching experiments on 3T3 fibroblasts. By superimposing small amplitude oscillations on a mechanically prestressed cell, we find a transition from linear viscoelastic behavior to power-law stress stiffening. Data from different cells over several stress decades can be uniquely scaled to obtain a master-relation between the viscoelastic moduli and the average force. Remarkably, this relation holds independently of deformation history, adhesion biochemistry, and intensity of active contraction. In particular, it is irrelevant whether force is actively generated by the cell or externally imposed by stretching. We propose that the master-relation reflects the mechanical behavior of the force bearing actin cytoskeleton, in agreement with stress stiffening known from semiflexible filament networks.
{
"annotation_id": "352e36a0-b65e-441f-bec0-bd85bc35a1ec",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:07.071000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:07.071000Z",
"file_hash": "09516e8f5ae7e47e257e85975033411fa51b63dd9955c29f3a77dbe1bdc6dd52",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "Cell mechanical functions like locomotion, contraction and division are\ncontrolled by the cytoskeleton, a dynamic biopolymer network whose mechanical\nproperties remain poorly understood. We perform single-cell uniaxial stretching\nexperiments on 3T3 fibroblasts. By superimposing small amplitude oscillations\non a mechanically prestressed cell, we find a transition from linear\nviscoelastic behavior to power-law stress stiffening. Data from different cells\nover several stress decades can be uniquely scaled to obtain a master-relation\nbetween the viscoelastic moduli and the average force. Remarkably, this\nrelation holds independently of deformation history, adhesion biochemistry, and\nintensity of active contraction. In particular, it is irrelevant whether force\nis actively generated by the cell or externally imposed by stretching. We\npropose that the master-relation reflects the mechanical behavior of the force\nbearing actin cytoskeleton, in agreement with stress stiffening known from\nsemiflexible filament networks.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0603119",
"authors": [
"Pablo Fernandez",
"Pramod A. Pullarkat",
"Albrecht Ott"
],
"categories": [
"physics.bio-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1529/biophysj.105.072215",
"title": "A master relation defines the nonlinear viscoelasticity of single fibroblasts",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0603119"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "f8fa2718-5e5f-4af5-b1b9-847b55913ba4",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}