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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

DNA Tension Probes to Map the Transient Piconewton Receptor Forces by Immune Cells

DNA Tension Probes to Map the Transient Piconewton Receptor Forces by Immune Cells

Published on: March 20, 2021

FRET-based Molecular Tension Microscopy.

Charlène Gayrard¹, Nicolas Borghi¹

¹Institut Jacques Monod, Unité Mixe de Recherche 7592, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université Paris-Diderot, Paris 75013, France.

Methods (San Diego, Calif.)

|July 27, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Molecular Tension Microscopy (MTM) measures cellular forces at the molecular level using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). This technique enhances understanding of cell mechanics and mechanotransduction pathways.

Keywords:

FRET microscopy Mechanotransduction Morphogenesis Signaling

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Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

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Imaging Integrin Tension and Cellular Force at Submicron Resolution with an Integrative Tension Sensor

Imaging Integrin Tension and Cellular Force at Submicron Resolution with an Integrative Tension Sensor

Published on: April 25, 2019

Area of Science:

Cellular mechanics and mechanobiology
Molecular biophysics
Cellular signaling

Background:

Cells generate and respond to mechanical forces influencing tissue development and disease.
Understanding force propagation and signal transduction at the molecular level remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the principles and applications of FRET-based Molecular Tension Microscopy (MTM).
To explore how MTM advances the study of cellular mechanical architecture and mechanotransduction.

Main Methods:

Detailed explanation of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) principles.
Discussion of various FRET measurement techniques, including their pros and cons.
Application of FRET-based MTM across diverse proteins, cells, and organisms.

Main Results:

Validation of MTM approaches through various experimental tests.
Correlation established between measured molecular tension and cellular functions.
Demonstration of MTM's capability for in situ molecular-scale force measurements.

Conclusions:

FRET-based MTM is a powerful tool for quantifying molecular tension in cells.
This technique provides critical insights into mechanotransduction and cellular mechanics.
Future developments promise expanded applications in cell biology and medicine.