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Imaging and Interrogating Native Membrane Proteins Using the Atomic Force Microscope

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Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 736))

Abstract

Membrane proteins exist in a lipid bilayer and provide for cell–cell communication, transport solutes, and convert energies. Detergents are used to extract membrane proteins and keep them in solution for purification and subsequent analyses. The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool for imaging and manipulating membrane proteins in their native state without the necessity to solubilize them. It allows membranes that are adsorbed to flat solid supports to be raster-scanned in physiological solutions with an atomically sharp tip. Therefore, AFM is capable of observing biological molecular machines at work. Superb images of native membranes have been recorded, and a quantitative interpretation of the data acquired using the AFM tip has become possible. In addition, multifunctional probes to simultaneously acquire information on the topography and electrical properties of membrane proteins have been produced. This progress is discussed here and fosters expectations for future developments and applications of AFM and single-molecule force spectroscopy.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Daniel J. Müller, Dimitrios Fotiadis, and Bart Hoogenboom for providing beautiful topographs and constructive discussions. This work was supported by the Maurice E. Müller Foundation of Switzerland and by the Swiss National Foundation. The used AFM facility was built with contributions from the Swiss University Conference and JPK-Instruments AG, Berlin, Germany.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maurice E. Müller Institute for Structural Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Andreas Engel

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  1. Andreas Engel
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Correspondence to Andreas Engel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, 20129, Italy

    Pier Carlo Braga

  2. , Robotics, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy

    Davide Ricci

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Engel, A. (2011). Imaging and Interrogating Native Membrane Proteins Using the Atomic Force Microscope. In: Braga, P., Ricci, D. (eds) Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 736. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-105-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-105-5_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-104-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-105-5

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