Final answer:
Cells on a flexible fibronectin-coated surface create traction forces through their stress fibers, which can cause the surface to deform, a process crucial for understanding cellular interactions with their environment and relevant for tissue engineering and mechanobiology.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cell lying on a bed of flexible fibronectin-coated posts can generate pulling forces through stress fibers to deflect the posts. In biological systems, cells interact with their extracellular matrix (ECM) using these stress fibers, which are composed of actin and myosin, generating mechanical force that leads to deformations in the ECM. Experiments have shown that cells can sense and respond to the mechanical properties of their environment, and this interaction plays a critical role in processes such as cell adhesion, migration, and tissue formation.
Previous research, such as the works of Korff and Augustin (1999), Califano and Reinhart-King (2010), and Reinhart-King et al. (2008), has explored the importance of matrix mechanics and demonstrated that cellular forces, whether through direct pulling by contractile actomyosin networks or pushing by polymerization at the cell periphery, are crucial in guiding the directional outgrowth of cells and promoting tissue formation.
The traction forces anomalies at focal adhesions, transmitting forces to the substrate, helping the cells to probe substrate stiffness and communicate with each other via substrate strains. Research in this area provides insights into the physical principles of tissue engineering, cellular mechanotransduction, and the development of materials for biomedical applications.