Thermo-mechanical properties of the cell surface assessed by atomic force microscopy

► We study the frictional properties of air-dried cell surface by AFM. ► AFM-assessed friction force for the dried cell surface increases at T>Tg. ► Tg for erythrocyte samples is lower than that for thymocyte ones. ► We examine the effects of glutaraldehyde and ONOO- on cell frictional properties. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in lateral force mode was applied to assess the microscale thermo-mechanical (frictional) properties of the air-dried cell surface in the wide temperature range (288–363K/15–90°C). AFM-investigated cell surface layer can be represented as a biocomposite composed of several layers including the glycocalyx, the membrane and the intercellular layer containing membrane (cortical) cytoskeleton. The cells with two different cytoskeleton structures, erythrocytes and thymocytes, were studied. Above a certain temperature (Tg), the significant change in friction force with temperature was revealed for the both cell types whereas there was no similar change in their topography parameters. The experimentally determined value Tg for erythrocyte samples was lower than that for thymocyte ones. Treating living cells with the cross-linking agent, glutaraldehyde, led to the weakening of the temperature dependence of air-dried cell surface frictional properties in the studied temperature range. Addition of oxidizing agent, peroxynitrite, to living cell suspensions changed the temperature dependence of air-dried cell surface frictional properties depending on cell type and peroxynitrite concentration. The obtained data indicate that the study of thermo-mechanical properties of air-dried cells with AFM in lateral force mode provides expanded information on the structural characteristics of the living cell surface layer, and sets the stage for the development of AFM-based method (with using a lateral force mode) for the cell pathology diagnostics.