Nanoparticle tension probes patterned at the nanoscale: impact of integrin clustering on force transmission.

Liu, Yang; Medda, Rebecca; Liu, Zheng; Galior, Kornelia; Yehl, Kevin; Spatz, Joachim P; Cavalcanti-Adam, Elisabetta Ada; Salaita, Khalid · Nano Lett · 2014

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Herein we aimed to understand how nanoscale clustering of RGD ligands alters the mechano-regulation of their integrin receptors. We combined molecular tension fluorescence microscopy with block copolymer micelle nanolithography to fabricate substrates with arrays of precisely spaced probes that can generate a 10-fold fluorescence response to pN-forces. We found that the mechanism of sensing ligand spacing is force-mediated. This strategy is broadly applicable to investigating receptor clustering and its role in mechanotransduction pathways.

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