Modification of Cellular Cholesterol Content Affects Traction Force, Adhesion and Cell Spreading

Cellular cholesterol is a critical component of the plasma membrane, and plays a key role in determining the physical properties of the lipid bilayer, such as elasticity, viscosity, and permeability. Surprisingly, it has been shown that cholesterol depletion increases cell stiffness, not due to plasma membrane stiffening, but rather, due to the interaction between the actin cytoskeleton and the plasma membrane. This indicates that traction stresses of the acto-myosin complex likely increase during cholesterol depletion. Here we use force traction microscopy to quantify the forces individual cells are exerting on the substrate, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy as well as interference reflection microscopy to observe cell–substrate adhesion and spreading. We show that single cells depleted of cholesterol produce larger traction forces and have large focal adhesions compared to untreated or cholesterol-enriched cells. Cholesterol depletion also causes a decrease in adhesion area for both single cells and monolayers. Spreading experiments illustrate a decrease in spreading area for cholesterol-depleted cells, and no effect on cholesterol-enriched cells. These results demonstrate that cholesterol plays an important role in controlling and regulating the cell–substrate interactions through the actin–plasma membrane complex, cell–cell adhesion, and spreading.