Letter pubs.acs.org/NanoLett
Visualizing the Interior Architecture of Focal Adhesions with HighResolution Traction Maps Masatoshi Morimatsu,† Armen H. Mekhdjian,† Alice C. Chang,† Steven J. Tan,† and Alexander R. Dunn*,†,‡ †
Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
‡
S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: Focal adhesions (FAs) are micron-sized protein assemblies that coordinate cell adhesion, migration, and mechanotransduction. How the many proteins within FAs are organized into force sensing and transmitting structures is poorly understood. We combined fluorescent molecular tension sensors with superresolution light microscopy to visualize traction forces within FAs with
