Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has many advantages in the study of biological samples, such as the convenient specimen preparation and the high resolution. In the present study, AFM was used to observe the double minute chromosomes (DMs) in mouse methotrexate-resistant cell line 3T3R500. AFM images were obtained by tapping mode, contact mode and later force mode of AFM. DMs were composed of two compact spheres connected with fibers. The number of DMs in the 3T3R500 cells increased with increasing levels of methotrexate (MTX) resistance. The data of the height and the underside diameter of the DMs were also obtained. The details of specimen preparation and scan mode selection of AFM were discussed. Our results show that AFM is a powerful method in the study of DMs.
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J Phys Chem Lett
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
The Ni-N(His) coordination bond, formed between the nickel ion and histidine residues, is essential for recombinant protein purification, especially in Ni-NTA-based systems for selectively binding polyhistidine-tagged (Histag) proteins. While previous studies have explored its bond strength in a synthetic Ni-NTA-Histag system, the influence of the surrounding protein structure remains less understood. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) to quantify the Ni-N(His) bond strength in calprotectin, a biologically relevant protein system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
Nanjing University, Department of Physics, 22 Hankou Road, 210093, Nanjing, CHINA.
Amino acid crystals have emerged as promising piezoelectric materials for biodegradable and biocompatible sensors; however, their relatively low piezoelectric coefficients constrain practical applications. Here, we introduce a fluoro-substitution strategy to overcome this limitation and enhance the piezoelectric performance of amino acid crystals. Specifically, we substituted hydrogen atoms on the aromatic rings of L-tryptophan, L-phenylalanine, and N-Cbz-L-phenylalanine with fluorine, resulting in significantly elevated piezoelectric coefficients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExtracell Vesicle
December 2024
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Route 108, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, USA.
Matrix-bound vesicles (MBVs), an integral part of the extracellular matrix (ECM), are emerging as pivotal factors in ECM-driven molecular signaling. This study is the first to report the isolation of MBVs from porcine arterial endothelial cell basement membranes (A-MBVs) and thyroid cartilage (C-MBVs), the latter serving as a negative control due to its minimal vascular characteristics. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Nano-Tracking Analysis (NTA), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), we orthogonally characterized the isolated MBVs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
January 2025
Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Science, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, China.
Recently, researchers have used silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coupled with humic acid (HA) as antimicrobial agents. Herein, AgNPs were prepared and coupled with humic acid for their antimicrobial activities. The as-prepared AgNPs coupled with humic acid (HA) were characterized by an atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, zeta sizer, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectrophotometer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
January 2025
Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted to unravel the structural configurations of selenium under pressure, the exquisite sensitivity of selenium's p-orbital electrons to this external force, leading to a plethora of structural variations, leaves several intermediary phases still shrouded in mystery. We, herein, systematically identify the structural and electronic transformations of selenium under high pressure up to 300 GPa, employing crystal structure prediction in conjunction with first-principles calculations. Our results for the transition sequence (321 → 2/ → 3̄ → 3̄) of selenium are in good agreement with experimental ones.
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