Characterizing the Integrin-mediated Adhesion Profile of Single Cells by AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

AFM-based single cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) is applied to study integrin-mediated cell adhesion to ECM. Bifunctional substrates were used for comparative SCFS which enables direct comparison of single cell adhesion to different ECM molecules. Non-genetic and cell cycle-independent adhesion variations were shown to come from cell-to-cell differences in receptor expression. An inverse regulation between collagen receptor integrin alpha2beta1 and laminin receptors was discovered.