In the following protocol, we describe the application of rapid fluorescence lifetime imaging to the measurement of membrane tension. The recent developments in tension sensing probes have resulted in probes which allow for quantification of membrane tension through measurement of fluorescence lifetime change with increasing or decreasing tension. In this protocol, we describe the acquisition and analysis steps required for these types of experiments and demonstrate how the fluorescence lifetime reports on change in membrane tension as a result of osmotic shock in live HeLa cells.
Keywords: Fluorescence lifetime; Membrane tension; Time-correlated single photon counting.
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