Probing single biomolecules with atomic force microscopy

J Struct Biol. 1997 Jul;119(2):165-71. doi: 10.1006/jsbi.1997.3887.

Abstract

During the last years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has developed from a microscopy tool for solid-state surface science toward a method employed in many scientific disciplines, such as biology, for investigating individual molecules on a nanometer scale. This article describes the current status of the imaging possibilities of AFM on RNA, IgG, and gold-labeled cell adhesion proteoglycans, as well as of measurements of intermolecular binding forces between biomolecules in order to investigate their molecular structure, function, and elasticity.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / chemistry
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / ultrastructure*
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chemistry, Physical
  • Gold
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulin G / ultrastructure*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / methods*
  • Porifera
  • Proteoglycans / chemistry
  • Proteoglycans / ultrastructure*
  • RNA / chemistry
  • RNA / ultrastructure*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Proteoglycans
  • cell aggregation factors
  • RNA
  • Gold