Atomic force microscopy in its single-molecule force spectroscopy mode is a nanomanipulation technique that is extensively used for the study of the mechanical properties of proteins. It is particularly suited to examine their response to stretching (i.e., molecular elasticity and mechanical stability). Here, we describe protein engineering strategies and single-molecule AFM techniques for probing protein mechanics, with special emphasis on polycystic kidney disease (PKD) proteins. We also provide step-by-step protocols for preparing proteins and performing single-molecule force measurements.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-806-1_16 | DOI Listing |
Biomolecules
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
The interaction between molecular targeted therapy drugs and target proteins is crucial with regard to the drugs' anti-tumor effects. Electric fields can change the structure of proteins, which determines the interaction between drugs and proteins. However, the regulation of the interaction between drugs and target proteins and the anti-tumor effects of electric fields have not been studied thoroughly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
Nanjing University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 163 Xianlin Avenu, 210023, Nanjing, CHINA.
Glycans, unlike uniformly charged DNA and compositionally diverse peptides, are typically uncharged and exhibit rich stereoisomeric diversity in the glycosidic bonds between two monosaccharide units. This heterogeneity of charge and the structural complexity present significant challenges for accurate analysis. Herein, we developed a novel single-molecule oligosaccharide sensor, OmpF nanopore.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna 1060, Austria.
Atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) is a photothermal scanning probe technique that combines nanoscale spatial resolution with the chemical analysis capability of mid-infrared spectroscopy. Using this hybrid technique, chemical identification down to the single molecule level has been demonstrated. However, the mechanism at the heart of AFM-IR, the transduction of local photothermal heating to cantilever deflection, is still not fully understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
The crowded bacterial cytoplasm is composed of biomolecules that span several orders of magnitude in size and electrical charge. This complexity has been proposed as the source of the rich spatial organization and apparent anomalous diffusion of intracellular components, although this has not been tested directly. Here, we use biplane microscopy to track the 3D motion of self-assembled bacterial genetically encoded multimeric nanoparticles (bGEMs) with tunable size (20 to 50 nm) and charge (-3,240 to +2,700 e) in live cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbohydr Polym
March 2025
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China. Electronic address:
The antiparallelly organized α-chitin exhibits greater thermodynamic stability and is more recalcitrant to degradation than its parallel allomorph, β-chitin, thereby impeding the efficient utilization of this natural resource. The processive chitinases usually provide the majority of catalytic potential for chitin biodegradation. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), we revealed that the opposite traffic of OfChi-h, the only processive chitinase involved in chitin biodegradation in the insect Ostrinia furnacalis, is a key factor that significantly affects α-chitin degradation.
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