Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration

Article Article scientifique Article Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration eng 2025-11-26 author Garcia Arcos Juan Manuel 0000-0003-3420-6093 Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. juan.garcia@unige.ch. 956790 author Mehidi Amine Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France. 934097 author Sanchez-Velasquez Julissa School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. author Guillamat Pau Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain. 883748 author Tomba Caterina 0000-0003-4634-1073 Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,CNRS, INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, Villeurbanne, France. 831981 author Houzet Laura Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 777047 author Capolupo Laura School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department for Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland. author Espadas Javier 0000-0002-4559-5410 Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 960240 Biochimie groupe 5 (CHIB5) author D'Angelo Giovanni 0000-0002-0734-4127 School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. author Colom Diego Adai 0000-0003-4869-8981 Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain. 815331 author Hinde Elizabeth 0000-0001-8317-1152 School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. author Aumeier Charlotte 0000-0002-0629-1721 Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 893545 Département de biochimie (CHIBI) author Roux Aurélien 0000-0002-6088-0711 Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. aurelien.roux@unige.ch. 716946 Département de biochimie (CHIBI) 10539 10.1038/s41467-025-65571-9 41298393 2041-1723 PMC12657936 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65571-9 Tension propagates in lipid bilayers over hundreds of microns within milliseconds, seemingly precluding the formation of tension gradients. Nevertheless, plasma membrane tension gradients have been reported in migrating cells and along growing axons. Here, we show that the mechanosensitive, fluorescent membrane probe Flipper-TR visualizes membrane tension gradients in artificial and cellular membranes. Images of tension gradients allow their quantitative characterization, showing that they are long-ranged and linear in all migratory adherent cells. Using this tool, we unexpectedly reveal that tension gradients also exist in non-migrating adherent cells while they are absent in non-adherent migrating cells. This suggests that actomyosin forces can generate tension gradients even in non-moving cells, but that adhesion to a substrate is needed to sustain these gradients. Treatment of cells with drugs perturbing actomyosin show that branched actin increases tension, creating gradients. Furthermore, specific adhesion mediated by clathrin plaques colocalizes with regions of low tension, and chemical disruption of clathrin plaques strongly affect tension gradients. Altogether, our results show that the combined action of actomyosin and adhesion forces create tension gradients in the plasma membrane of adherent cells, even the ones not migrating. Dewey 540 Human Frontier Science Program LT000762/2020-L European Molecular Biology Organization ALTF 989-2022 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) LT-000793/2018-C European Commission In-situ spatiotemporal imaging of membrane hydration, electrostatics, tension and curvature to understand cell response to osmotic shocks and cell migration. 951324 R2-TENSION EU H2020 Swiss National Science Foundation MEETICS: MEmbrane Extension Transduces Information between Cellular Scales 200793 CH Swiss National Science Foundation Kinesin-1 regulated microtubule shaft dynamics in cell polarity 211433 CH 39 Département de biochimie 144 false 769 Groupe Roux 1381 Groupe Aumeier Nature communications 16 1 c751cf59-fc0a-4dff-a55d-1c4b86c408a6 Article (Published version) Public Article_scientifique_from_crossref.pdf 13592701 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 359bc0b729f6c00b775c47185442528f42e8e491da60d6ae28c867962d0e29e8 openAccess Faculté des sciences / Section de chimie et biochimie / Département de biochimie

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Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration	Nature communications			2025	54	36

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Houzet, Laura