Super-Resolution Axial Imaging for Quantifying Piconewton Traction Forces in Live Cells.

ABSTRACT: Cell mechanics play a pivotal role in regulating numerous biological processes. Although super-resolution microscopy enables the imaging of cellular forces in the lateral dimension with sub-10-nm resolution, achieving comparable resolution along the axial dimension remains a significant challenge. Here, we introduce metal-induced energy transfer (MIET)-based tension probe microscopy (MIET-TPM), a technique for mapping cellular mechanical forces with nanometer precision in the axial direction. This approach combines the nanometer spatial resolution of MIET imaging with the piconewton sensitivity of DNA-hairpin-based molecular tension probes (MTPs), enabling the simultaneous observation of both the plasma membrane and force-exerting molecules in the axial dimension. Using MIET-TPM, we mapped

SUBMITTER: Wang DX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12501754 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature