Mitotic Cell Shape - RNA Interference Screening for Genes Involved in Mechanics using Atomic Force Microscopy

Cell division in animal cells requires major changes in the cytoskeletal arrangement to achieve accurate positioning of the mitotic spindle and subsequent correct chromosome segregation. To this end, cells undergo drastic shape changes in a process termed mitotic cell rounding. The mechanisms controlling this process are not fully understood. Using an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based assay that quantifies cell mechanical parameters in conjunction with RNAi gene silencing, we screened almost 1000 genes for their role in mitotic cell mechanics. We find ∼5 % of the genes screened to strongly influence mitotic cell mechanics and provide results from experiments further investigating the role of a subset of these genes formerly not known to be involved in this process. We believe that mechanical phenotyping like presented in this study can lead to new and quantitative insights into the way cells regulate and maintain their shape and mechanical integrity.