Structure of immunoglobulin G by scanning tunnelling microscopy.
Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) has been used to examine the shape of individual immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules deposited onto a graphite surface. IgG was chosen for this study as it has a well-characterized and distinctive three-dimensional structure. The micrographs clearly reveal the IgG molecule as trilobed, corresponding with the known structural organization of IgG. Comparison of these images with the structure of IgG determined by X-ray crystallography shows that the STM images are consistent with the crystal structure. This illustrates that STM is a valuable technique for examining protein structure, allowing rapid determination of the overall molecular shape that is consistent with more established techniques.
Department of Chemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine South Kensington, London, U.K.
R J
RJ
Leatherbarrow
M
M
Stedman
T N
TN
Wells
D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D007074:Immunoglobulin G