Preprint Highlight: Actin-driven protrusions generate rapid long-range membrane tension propagation in cells.

Abstract

The distribution of long-range membrane tension across a cell is controversial. Previous studies find either that cell membranes do not propagate tension or that membrane tension propagation is potentially coupled to protrusions. Further, it is unclear whether the actin cortex resists or contributes to membrane tension. This work combined optogenetic activation of actin-driven membrane protrusions for generating local endogenous tension with dual-optical trapping for measuring and manipulating exogenous membrane tension. This powerful combination of techniques showed that the plasma membrane and actin cortex are integrated in long-range membrane tension propagation. The authors developed a composite mechanical model that predicts this integration and was experimentally validated. This study demonstrates that cell membrane tension is intrinsically coupled to actin cytoskeleton dynamics and challenges previous findings.