Event

Evidence for mechanical forces at cell-matrix adhesions has existed for over 30 years. Bulk measurement techniques, such as traction force microscopy, can be used to estimate the mechanical forces across focal adhesions, and more recently cell-cell adhesions. However, these techniques cannot measure the mechanical loading of individual proteins. To overcome this limitation my group has focused on using a FRET-based force biosensor. This biosensor, known as TSmod, when inserted into proteins, can be used to make spatial-temporal measurements of mechanical force with protein-level resolution. My group has developed sensors for measuring mechanical forces at tight, adherens, and desmosomal junctions, the three major load bearing structures in the cell-cell junction. Similarly we have extended this technique to measure mechanical force across structures in the nuclear envelope, including the nuclear LINC complex and the nuclear pore complex. The ultimate goal of my research is to understand how mechanical forces impact cellular function. We have been using epithelial monolayers (2D) and epithelial acini (3D) as a model systems to study both cell-cell junction forces and mechanical force on the nucleus. I will present results showing that mechanical force across the adherens junction and the nuclear LINC complex are important regulators of epithelial morphognesis and homeostasis.