Biological Applications of (SPM)

Images from the World-Wide Web.

Books on this subject: Force Microscopy: Applications in Biology and Medicine and Atomic Force Microscopy for Biologists

Biomolecules and Supramolecular Structure
Structures and Authors	Images	Notes
Enzymatic hydrolysis of starch, Neil Thomson and P. Hallett, in the lab of Mervyn Miles, H.H. Wills Physics Lab., Tyndall Ave., Bristol, UK		Degradation of a starch granule by alpha-amylase. [ click for movie of starch degradation ]
Bacterial flagellae, Scanning Probe Microscopy Group, Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK		Flagellae of Pseudomonas putida, non-contact mode.
Muscle proteins, Dr. Peter Hallett, in the lab of Mervyn Miles, University of Bristol, UK		The motor protein myosin
.(see above)		The elastic muscle protein titin.
(see above)		Paracrystals of light meromyosin (LMM).
(see above)		Muscle myofibrils.
DNA Images: Molecular Imaging Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Bibliography of Nucleic Acid Applications from Digital Instruments		"Shown [left] is a 50,000 base-pair long DNA molecule bound with six EcoRI molecules, and imaged using the atomic force microscope. This image clearly indicates the six EcoRI "sites" and allows an accurate restriction enzyme map of the cosmid to be generated."
DNA molecules deposited on a mica surface. Andy Round, University of Bristol		DNA was imaged in butanol using an Infinitesima ActivResonance Controller, and is displayed with a color table z-range of 3 nm. Image size is 3 microns x 3 microns.
Transcription Factor Imaging Molecular Imaging Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory		"These are our AFM images of the plasmid pAD-Beta Galactosidase obtained from Clontech Laboratories, Inc. (GenBank Accession #U02442), and attached to a mica surface. Each panel shows a FIIB/TFIID protein (from Promega Corp.)complex bound to the plasmid" TATAAA site (Top) TATAAAAA site (Middle) TATAAAA site (Bottom)
Plant cell walls, Andrew R. Kirby, A. Patrick Gunning, Victor J. Morris and Liz Adams, SPM Group, Institute of Food Research - Norwich Laboratory		Apple cell wall: AFM error signal image of wet carrot cell wall on mica, scanned in air. The strands in the image are cellulose microfibrils. Image size: 1 x 1 micron.
Helicity of paired helical filaments from patients with Alzheimer's disease Fernando Moreno-Herrero, José M. Valpuesta, Mar Pérez, Jaime Colchero, Arturo M. Baró, Jesús Avila, Esteban Montejo de Garcini, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid. Spain.		The structure of the Paired Helical filaments (PHF), a polymer of the microtubule associated protein tau, has been studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and by cryoelectron microscopy.

Biological Materials

Cell Biology
How bacteria recognize mineral surfaces		A single Shewanella oneidensis bacterium at the tip of a cantilever registers its attraction or repulsion to the surface of goethite through reflections of a laser beam off the top of the cantilever. PHOTO BY S. LOWER, M. HOCHELLA, R. WEAVER, & M. FORTNEY from Chemical & Engineering News
Polyribosomes W. Fritzsche, H.-H. Trepte and T. M. Jovin, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany	(no illustration)	Giant polyribosomes from salivary gland cells of Chironomus pallidivittatus
Chromosomes Prof. Dr. Wolfgang M. Heckl with Rober Stark and Stefan Thalhammer, Institut für Kristallographie und Mineralogie, Ludwig- Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany		Human chromosome spread, imaged in contact mode.
		Human chromosome 9: Microdissection and extraction of selected DNA with the AFM, arrows mark the dissection
Living Fibroblasts Christian Rotsch, Kenneth A. Jacobson, and Manfred Radmacher and Manfred Radmacher Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, 80799 München, Germany		"The atomic force microscope (AFM) has great potential in biology due to the combination of several features: the high lateral and vertical resolution of a few nanometers, and even better, the high sensitivity in detecting and applying forces as low as 20 pN, and the ability to be operated in a liquid environment."
Secretory Structures Identification of new plasma membrane structures in pancreatic acinar cells, and their role in secretion physiology. Bhanu P. Jena, Ph.D. Yale University School of Medicine		"Topology of the apical cell surface of isolated pancreatic acini observed by atomic microscopy. Scattered pits at the pical plasma membrane surface with papillae-like projections are seen. One pit (Inset) with depressions shown. A number of large pore-like structures are also identified."
Reconstituted Fusion Pore (rat pancreatic acinar cells) A Jeremic, M Kelly, SJ Cho, MH Stromer, BP Jena - Biophysical Journal (2003) Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit & Iowa State University, Ames		Fusion pores or porosomes are basket-like structures at thecell plasma membrane, at the base of which, membrane-bound secretoryvesicles dock and fuse to release vesicular contents. AFM micrographs of the fusion pore or porosome, as it appears at the cell surface and at the cytosolic side. (a) A pit with four fusion pores within, found at the apical surface in a live pancreatic acinar cell. (b) AFM micrograph of isolated plasma membrane preparation reveals the cytosolic end of a pit with inverted cup-shaped structures, the fusion pores. (c) A single fusion pore at the cell surface, and (d) as it appears at the cytosolic side of the cell membrane.
Stomate from the underside of an ivy leaf (Hedera helix). Veeco Metrology Group		Field of view 60 µm x 60 µm Contact AFM (C-AFM) image taken in air showing the surface topography of a pore or stomate on the underside of a freshly picked ivy leaf. The oval structure consists of two guard cells forming a pore, which controls flow of water vapor and out of the leaf. Minimalsample preparation was required. A small piece of leaf tissue was simply stuck down with double stick adhesive tape and imaged. SEM imaging would have required metal coating and imaging of the sample in vacuum.

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Revised: March 10, 2007
Copyright © John W. Cross