Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 39: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration I (Joint session BP, CPP)

CPP 39.5: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 10:45–11:00, H 1058

Molecular stress sensors constructed from DNA — •Meenakshi Prabhune¹, Jonathan Bath², Andrew Turberfield², Florian Rehfeldt¹, and Christoph F Schmidt¹ — ¹Third Institute of Physics-Biophysics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany — ²University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK

Molecular stress generation in cells is spatially and temporarily organized in complex patterns to drive meso-scale active processes such as intracellular transport, cell migration, or cell division. To quantitatively understand how these processes are driven, it is necessary to map local stresses inside cells, which is hard due to the lack of appropriate probes. We have designed a molecular-scale probe consisting of a self-assembled DNA hairpin with a fluorophore - quencher pair that responds to small forces applied to its ends. We demonstrate the working of this force sensor in vitro and explore possibilities for in vivo application to map local stress fields in cells.