BLOG

Mechanical cues trigger neuronal activity and ion channel receptors

Mechanical cues trigger neuronal activity and ion channel receptors

Mechanical forces regulate neuronal activity during C. elegans locomotion:

 

Finally! The latest paper from the Neurophotonics & Mechanical Systems Biology group  at ICFO has been published in SCIENCE ADVANCES.

In this work entitled “An asymmetric mechanical code ciphers curvature-dependent proprioceptor activity”, the mechanical activation of neuronal activity in C. elegans is studied by means of genome editing, modelling and direct force spectroscopy integrated in SENSOCELL optical tweezers. The system is also combined with spinning-disk confocal microscopy to monitor Ca2+ ion channel dynamics during axon membrane tether extrusion experiments.

In particular, Michael Krieg‘s lab lab investigates the mechanics, molecules and neurons responsible for proprioception in C. elegans with the ultimate goal of understanding how physical forces and mechanical stimuli  play a role in health and disease. Another important field of research in the lab is the study of how mechanotransduction cues govern the cell nucleus reorganization with the aim to extend this work to other intracellular compartments.

Keep going !

 

📌For more information about how SENSOCELL can help you in your research projects, please contact us here.

More news:

Fig. 1

Time dependence of trap position (top), force signal (middle) and Ca2+ fluorescence signal (bottom) recorded during a membrane tether pulling experiment. The force and Ca2+ ion channel activity signals exhibit negative correlation.

Fig. 2

Force and displacement data for two beads stimulated at frequencies of 4 Hz and 0.25 Hz. The progressive reduction of the beads displacement is in concomitancy with an increase of the applied force and loading rate.

Fig. 1

Schematic representation of the optical tweezers experiment. A fibronectin-coated bead is trapped, brought into contact with the cell membrane and stimulated with oscillations at different frequencies.

Fig.2

Time dependence of trap 1 and trap 2 position (top) and force (bottom) data along the different steps of the described dual tether pulling experiment.

Fig.1

Confocal video of the described dual tether pulling assay performed on a neuron axon. Courtesy of M. Krieg lab (ICFO).

Fig. 1

Time dependence of trap position (top), force signal (middle) and Ca2+ fluorescence signal (bottom) recorded during a membrane tether pulling experiment. The force and Ca2+ ion channel activity signals exhibit negative correlation.

Video 1

Confocal video showing a DVA neuron Ca2+ ion channel activity in a dynamic optical trapping assay. The pulling rate applied to the membrane tether is progressively increased. Scale bar = 5µm. Acquired at 10Hz.