ArticleNature methods2023
Hydrogel-based molecular tension fluorescence microscopy for investigating receptor-mediated rigidity sensing.
Article in Nature methods, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cofilin1-driven cytoskeletal remodeling modulates pan-cancer CD8Cell reports. Medicine · 2026Article
- Decoding mechanoregulation in immunological synapses using biomimetic artificial cells.Nature methods · 2026Article
- Single Cell Mechanics in Disease Progression.Small science · 2026Review
- Measuring cellular force using DNA-based tension probes: from ensemble to single-molecule studies.Nature protocols · 2026Review
- Traction Force Microscopy with DNA FluoroCubes.Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids · 2026Article
- Integrin α2: mode of regulation and functioning in the metastatic cancer cascade.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Guidance for 3D traction force microscopy today and in the next decade.Nature methods · 2026Review
- Force-dependent structural dynamics of the giant nesprin-2.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- The role of extracellular matrix stiffness in regulating fibroblast behaviors and disease progression.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Hydrogel-based neural engineering for skin wound healing.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Synthetic mechanoreceptor engineering: From genetic encoding to DNA nanotechnology-based reprogramming.Mechanobiology in medicine · 2025Review
- Capped high-force integrin bond lifetimes and spacing-tuned binding frequency drive rapid fibroblast migration.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Mechano-crosstalk between living and artificial cells.Nature communications · 2025Article
- TFAP4 exacerbates pathological cardiac fibrosis by modulating mechanotransduction.Cell insight · 2025Article
- Decoding force-transmission linkages for therapeutic targeting and engineering.APL bioengineering · 2025Review
- TCR catch bonds nonlinearly control CD8 cooperation to shape T cell specificity.Cell research · 2025Article
- Tailorable biosensors for real-time monitoring of stress distribution in soft biomaterials and living tissues.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Integrin force loading rate in mechanobiology: From model to molecular measurement.QRB discovery · 2025Review
- Analytical methods in studying cell force sensing: principles, current technologies and perspectives.Regenerative biomaterials · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity serves as a crucial mechanical cue impacting diverse biological processes. However, understanding the molecular mechanisms of rigidity sensing has been limited by the spatial resolution and force sensitivity of current cellular force measurement techniques. Here we developed a method to functionalize DNA tension probes on soft hydrogel surfaces in a controllable and reliable manner, enabling molecular tension fluorescence microscopy for rigidity sensing studies. Our findings showed that fibroblasts respond to substrate rigidity by recruiting more force-bearing integrins and modulating integrin sampling frequency of the ECM, rather than simply overloading the existing integrin-ligand bonds, to promote focal adhesion maturation. We also demonstrated that ECM rigidity positively regulates the pN force of T cell receptor-ligand bond and T cell receptor mechanical sampling frequency, promoting T cell activation. Thus, hydrogel-based molecular tension fluorescence microscopy implemented on a standard confocal microscope provides a simple and effective means to explore detailed molecular force information for rigidity-dependent biological processes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.