Quantitative Super-Resolution Imaging of Molecular Tension.

ABSTRACT: DNA-based molecular tension probes have revolutionized the localization of mechanical events in live cells with super-resolution. However, imaging the magnitude of these forces at super-resolution has been challenging. Here, qtPAINT (quantitative tension points accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography) is introduced as a strategy to image the magnitude of molecular tension with super-resolution accuracy. By leveraging the force-dependent dissociation kinetics of short DNA oligonucleotides on their complementary strands, tension is encoded on individual molecules through their binding kinetics. This method allowed for a quantitative analysis of these kinetics, providing a detailed reconstruction of the force magnitudes acting on each tension probe. The technique integrates a molecul

SUBMITTER: Kim SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302535 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature