Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration

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.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-11-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65571-9
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.81
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article

Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration

Laura Capolupo, Julissa J. Sánchez‐Velásquez, Aurélien Roux, Pau Guillamat et al.
1 citations
Nature Communications
Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
0.81
article

Adherent cells sustain membrane tension gradients independently of migration

Laura Capolupo, Julissa J. Sánchez‐Velásquez, Aurélien Roux, Pau Guillamat, Adai Colom, Giovanni D’Angelo, Caterina Tomba, Elizabeth Hinde, Amine Mehidi, Juan Manuel GARCIA ARCOS, Javier Espadas, Laura Houzet
article en
1 citations

Abstract

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.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), Ikerbasque (ES), École Centrale de Lyon (FR), University of Geneva (CH), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Université de Bordeaux (FR), The University of Melbourne (AU), University of the Basque Country (ES), Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (FR), ETH Zurich (CH), Instituto Biofisika (ES), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (ES), Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neuroscience (FR), Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (ES), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (FR), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), École d'Ingénieurs en Chimie et Sciences du Numérique (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 21%
Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
0.81
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