Directed manipulation of membrane proteins by fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles

Jia Hui Li, Paula Santos-Otte, Braedyn Au, Jakob Rentsch, Stephan Block and Helge Ewers ()
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Jia Hui Li: Freie Universität Berlin
Paula Santos-Otte: Freie Universität Berlin
Braedyn Au: Freie Universität Berlin
Jakob Rentsch: Freie Universität Berlin
Stephan Block: Freie Universität Berlin
Helge Ewers: Freie Universität Berlin

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The plasma membrane is the interface through which cells interact with their environment. Membrane proteins are embedded in the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane and their function in this context is often linked to their specific location and dynamics within the membrane. However, few methods are available to manipulate membrane protein location at the single-molecule level. Here, we use fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles (FMNPs) to track membrane molecules and to control their movement. FMNPs allow single-particle tracking (SPT) at 10 nm and 5 ms spatiotemporal resolution, and using a magnetic needle, we pull membrane components laterally with femtonewton-range forces. In this way, we drag membrane proteins over the surface of living cells. Doing so, we detect barriers which we could localize to the submembrane actin cytoskeleton by super-resolution microscopy. We present here a versatile approach to probe membrane processes in live cells via the magnetic control of membrane protein motion.

Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18087-3

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18087-3

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