TY - JOUR
T1 - Life on biomembranes viewed with the atomic force microscope
AU - Oberleithner, Hans
AU - Geibel, John
AU - Guggino, William
AU - Henderson, Robert M.
AU - Hunter, Malcolm
AU - Schneider, Stefan W.
AU - Schwab, Albrecht
AU - Wang, Wenhui
PY - 1997/8/12
Y1 - 1997/8/12
N2 - Since its invention in 1986, the atomic force microscope (AFM) has become one of the most widely used near-field microscopes. Surfaces of hard samples are imaged almost routinely with atomic resolution. Soft biological surfaces, however, are still challenging. In this brief review, the AFM technique is introduced to the experimental biologist. We discuss recent data on imaging molecular structures of biomembranes, and give detailed information on the application of the AFM with three representative examples. One is imaging plasma membrane turnover of transformed renal epithelial cells during migration in vivo, another is visualizing a cloned and isolated potassium channel usually located in kidney, and a third is imaging macromolecular pore complexes of the nuclear envelope of aldosterone- sensitive kidney cells and of Xenopus laevis oocytes. The review ends with the conclusion that nuclear pores can serve as birthday candles on a Guglhupf.
AB - Since its invention in 1986, the atomic force microscope (AFM) has become one of the most widely used near-field microscopes. Surfaces of hard samples are imaged almost routinely with atomic resolution. Soft biological surfaces, however, are still challenging. In this brief review, the AFM technique is introduced to the experimental biologist. We discuss recent data on imaging molecular structures of biomembranes, and give detailed information on the application of the AFM with three representative examples. One is imaging plasma membrane turnover of transformed renal epithelial cells during migration in vivo, another is visualizing a cloned and isolated potassium channel usually located in kidney, and a third is imaging macromolecular pore complexes of the nuclear envelope of aldosterone- sensitive kidney cells and of Xenopus laevis oocytes. The review ends with the conclusion that nuclear pores can serve as birthday candles on a Guglhupf.
KW - Atomic force microscopy
KW - Kidney
KW - Nuclear pore
KW - Potassium channel
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M3 - Article
C2 - 9261980
AN - SCOPUS:0030872884
SN - 0043-5325
VL - 109
SP - 419
EP - 423
JO - Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
JF - Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
IS - 12-13
ER -