Quantitative and Multiplexed Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Intercellular Tensile Forces

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biophysics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cell-cell mechanical interactions are crucial for cell signaling and communication.
• Precisely measuring intercellular forces at cell junctions remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a fluorescence lifetime-based approach for imaging and quantifying intercellular molecular tensions.
• To simultaneously measure tensile forces across multiple ligand-receptor pairs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fluorescence lifetime-based approach.
• Developed lifetime measurement-based DNA tension probes.
• Applied probes to image E-cadherin-mediated tension on epithelial cells.
• Quantified correlations between E-cadherin and N-cadherin tensions during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Main Results:

• Successfully imaged and quantified intercellular molecular tensions.
• Demonstrated simultaneous measurement of tensile forces across multiple ligand-receptor pairs.
• Revealed correlations between E-cadherin and N-cadherin tensions during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescence lifetime-based method provides a powerful tool for measuring intercellular forces.
• The modular design of the DNA tension probes allows for versatile application in studying various physiological and pathological processes.
• This technique advances our understanding of the mechanical aspects of cell-cell interactions.