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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Calcium imaging in the optical stretcher

Markus Gyger, Daniel Rose, Roland Stange, Tobias Kießling, Mareike Zink, Ben Fabry, and Josef A. Käs

The Microfluidic Optical Stretcher (MOS) has previously been shown to be a versatile tool to measure mechanical properties of single suspended cells. In this study we combine optical stretching and fluorescent calcium imaging. A cell line transfected with a heat sensitive cation channel was used as a model system to show the versatility of the setup. The cells were loaded with the Ca2+ dye Fluo-4 and imaged with confocal laser scanning microscopy while being stretched. During optical stretching heat is transferred to the cell causing a pronounced Ca2+ influx through the cation channel. The technique opens new perspectives for investigating the role of Ca2+ in regulating cell mechanical behavior.

DOI

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