Rapid and reversible optical switching of cell membrane area by an amphiphilic azobenzene

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 3760
• Main Authors: Höglsperger, Fabian, Vos, Bart E., Hofemeier, Arne D., Seyfried, Maximilian D., Stövesand, Bastian, Alavizargar, Azadeh, Topp, Leon, Heuer, Andreas, Betz, Timo, Ravoo, Bart Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23.06.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/45/56; 631/57/2270; 631/92/613; 639/638/541; Animals; Azo Compounds; Cell Membrane; Cell membranes; Cell Size; Cell surface; Erythrocytes; Fourier transforms; Homeostasis; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mammalian cells; Mammals; Membranes; Modulation; multidisciplinary; Myoblasts; Optical switching; Osmotic Pressure; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Surface area
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39032-0

Cellular membrane area is a key parameter for any living cell that is tightly regulated to avoid membrane damage. Changes in area-to-volume ratio are known to be critical for cell shape, but are mostly investigated by changing the cell volume via osmotic shocks. In turn, many important questions relating to cellular shape, membrane tension homeostasis and local membrane area cannot be easily addressed because experimental tools for controlled modulation of cell membrane area are lacking. Here we show that photoswitching an amphiphilic azobenzene can trigger its intercalation into the plasma membrane of various mammalian cells ranging from erythrocytes to myoblasts and cancer cells. The photoisomerization leads to a rapid (250-500 ms) and highly reversible membrane area change (ca 2 % for erythrocytes) that triggers a dramatic shape modulation of living cells. The surface area of living cells is tightly regulated. Here, authors show that the surface area and shape of cells can be reversibly manipulated with light using amphiphilic molecular photoswitches that enter and leave the membrane.