Scanning tunneling microscopy of planar biomembranes.
We combined planar membrane monolayer techniques with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to measure the thickness of metal-coated purple membrane (PM) isolated from Halobacterium halobium. Although the metal coating precluded obtaining high-resolution lateral information, it facilitated obtaining high-resolution vertical information. For example, the apparent mean thickness of planar PM and variations in thickness of enzyme-treated PM could be detected and quantified at sub-nanometer resolution.
Fisher
K A
KA
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0130.
Yanagimoto
K C
KC
Whitfield
S L
SL
Thomson
R E
RE
Gustafsson
M G
MG
Clarke
J
J
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006217:Halobacterium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008670:Metals; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling
D008670:Metals