biostudies-literatureHsu YYUniversity of MichiganNIBIB NIH HHSNational Institute of General Medical SciencesNIGMS NIH HHSNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering12-18https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10028359biostudies-literatureUnknown8(1)Plasma membrane tension functions as a global physical organizer of cellular activities. Technical limitations of current membrane tension measurement techniques have hampered in-depth investigation of cellular membrane biophysics and the role of plasma membrane tension in regulating cellular processes. Here, we develop an optical membrane tension reporter by repurposing an <i>E. coli</i> mechanosensitive channel via insertion of circularly permuted GFP (cpGFP), which undergoes a large conformational rearrangement associated with channel activation and thus fluorescence intensity changes under increased membrane tension.ACS sensorsMechanosensitive Channel-Based Optical Membrane Tension Reporter.PMC10028359R21 GM134157R01 EB030031R01EB030031R21GM 134167R21 GM103467Hsu YYFu JLiu APResto Irizarry AMfalseMechanosensitive Channel-Based Optical Membrane Tension Reporter.Plasma membrane tension functions as a global physical organizer of cellular activities. Technical limitations of current membrane tension measurement techniques have hampered in-depth investigation of cellular membrane biophysics and the role of plasma membrane tension in regulating cellular processes. Here, we develop an optical membrane tension reporter by repurposing an <i>E. coli</i> mechanosensitive channel via insertion of circularly permuted GFP (cpGFP), which undergoes a large conformational rearrangement associated with channel activation and thus fluorescence intensity changes under increased membrane tension.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jan2025-04-18T15:29:30.764Z2025-04-07T02:10:33.094ZS-EPMC100283593660833810.1021/acssensors.2c01921