Long-term imaging of cellular forces with high precision by elastic resonator interference stress microscopy
Abstract
Cellular forces are crucial for many biological processes but current methods to image them have limitations with respect to data analysis, resolution and throughput. Here, we present a robust approach to measure mechanical cell–substrate interactions in diverse biological systems by interferometrically detecting deformations of an elastic micro-cavity. Elastic resonator interference stress microscopy (ERISM) yields stress maps with exceptional precision and large dynamic range (2 nm displacement resolution over a >1 μm range, translating into 1 pN force sensitivity). This enables investigation of minute vertical stresses (<1 Pa) involved in podosome protrusion, protein-specific cell–substrate interaction and amoeboid migration through spatial confinement in real time. ERISM requires no zero-force reference and avoids phototoxic effects, which facilitates force monitoring over multiple days and at high frame rates and eliminates the need to detach cells after measurements. This allows observation of slow processes such as differentiation and further investigation of cells, for example, by immunostaining.
Citation
Kronenberg , N M , Liehm , P , Steude , A , Knipper , J A , Borger , J G , Scarcelli , G , Franze , K , Powis , S J & Gather , M C 2017 , ' Long-term imaging of cellular forces with high precision by elastic resonator interference stress microscopy ' , Nature Cell Biology , vol. 19 , no. 7 , pp. 864-872 . https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3561
Publication
Nature Cell Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1465-7392Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved. This work has been made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3561
Description
This project has received funding from the Human Frontiers Science Program (RGY0074/2013), the Scottish Funding Council (via SUPA), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 640012), the EPSRC DTP (EP/L505079/1), the RS MacDonald Charitable Trust and the MRC (G1100116 and G110312/1).Collections
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