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- Title
Investigating dynamic structural and mechanical changes of neuroblastoma cells associated with glutamate-mediated neurodegeneration.
- Authors
Yuqiang Fang; Iu, Catherine Y. Y.; Lui, Cathy N. P.; Yukai Zou; Fung, Carmen K. M.; Hung Wing Li; Ning Xi; Yung, Ken K. L.; Lai, King W. C.
- Abstract
Glutamate-mediated neurodegeneration resulting from excessive activation of glutamate receptors is recognized as one of the major causes of various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms in the neurodegenerative process remain unidentified. Here, we investigate the real-time dynamic structural and mechanical changes associated with the neurodegeneration induced by the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (a subtype of glutamate receptors) at the nanoscale. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is employed to measure the three-dimensional (3-D) topography and mechanical properties of live SH-SY5Y cells under stimulus of NMDA receptors. A significant increase in surface roughness and stiffness of the cell is observed after NMDA treatment, which indicates the time-dependent neuronal cell behavior under NMDA-mediated neurodegeneration. The present AFM based study further advance our understanding of the neurodegenerative process to elucidate the pathways and mechanisms that govern NMDA induced neurodegeneration, so as to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Subjects
NEUROBLASTOMA; GLUTAMATE receptors; NEURODEGENERATION; ALZHEIMER'S disease; HUNTINGTON disease; METHYL aspartate; ATOMIC force microscopy
- Publication
Scientific Reports, 2014, p1
- ISSN
2045-2322
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/srep07074