title: Nanoparticle tension probes patterned at the nanoscale: impact of integrin clustering on force transmission.
abstract: Herein we aimed to understand how nanoscale clustering of RGD ligands alters the mechano-regulation of their integrin receptors. We combined molecular tension fluorescence microscopy with block copolymer micelle nanolithography to fabricate substrates with arrays of precisely spaced probes that can generate a 10-fold fluorescence response to pN-forces. We found that the mechanism of sensing ligand spacing is force-mediated. This strategy is broadly applicable to investigating receptor clustering and its role in mechanotransduction pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University , 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medda
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kornelia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galior
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yehl
authors.forename: Joachim P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Spatz
authors.forename: Elisabetta Ada
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti-Adam
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salaita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D016023:Integrins; D008024:Ligands; D009842:Oligopeptides; D006046:Gold; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid
keywords: Nanopatterning; focal adhesion; integrin; mechanotransduction; molecular tension fluorescence microscopy; receptor clustering