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Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Marszalek, PE; Dufrêne, YF
Published in: Chemical Society reviews
May 2012

The past years have witnessed remarkable advances in our use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for stretching single biomolecules, thereby contributing to answering many outstanding questions in biophysics and chemical biology. In these single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) experiments, the AFM tip is continuously approached to and retracted from the biological sample, while monitoring the interaction force. The obtained force-extension curves provide key insight into the molecular elasticity and localization of single molecules, either on isolated systems or on cellular surfaces. In this tutorial review, we describe the principle of such SMFS experiments, and we survey remarkable breakthroughs made in manipulating single polysaccharides and proteins, including understanding the conformational properties of sugars and controlling them by force, measuring the molecular elasticity of mechanical proteins, unfolding and refolding individual proteins, probing protein-ligand interactions, and tuning enzymatic reactions by force. In addition, we show how SMFS with AFM tips bearing specific bioligands has enabled researchers to stretch and localize single molecules on live cells, in relation with cellular functions.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Chemical Society reviews

DOI

EISSN

1460-4744

ISSN

0306-0012

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

41

Issue

9

Start / End Page

3523 / 3534

Related Subject Headings

  • Proteins
  • Protein Folding
  • Polysaccharides
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • General Chemistry
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 03 Chemical Sciences
 

Citation

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Marszalek, P. E., & Dufrêne, Y. F. (2012). Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy. Chemical Society Reviews, 41(9), 3523–3534. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cs15329g
Marszalek, Piotr E., and Yves F. Dufrêne. “Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy.Chemical Society Reviews 41, no. 9 (May 2012): 3523–34. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cs15329g.
Marszalek PE, Dufrêne YF. Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy. Chemical Society reviews. 2012 May;41(9):3523–34.
Marszalek, Piotr E., and Yves F. Dufrêne. “Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy.Chemical Society Reviews, vol. 41, no. 9, May 2012, pp. 3523–34. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c2cs15329g.
Marszalek PE, Dufrêne YF. Stretching single polysaccharides and proteins using atomic force microscopy. Chemical Society reviews. 2012 May;41(9):3523–3534.
Journal cover image

Published In

Chemical Society reviews

DOI

EISSN

1460-4744

ISSN

0306-0012

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

41

Issue

9

Start / End Page

3523 / 3534

Related Subject Headings

  • Proteins
  • Protein Folding
  • Polysaccharides
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • General Chemistry
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 03 Chemical Sciences