Scanning tunneling microscopy of freeze-fracture replicas of biomembranes.
The high resolution of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) makes it a potentially important tool for the study of biomaterials. Biological materials can be imaged with the STM by a procedure in which fluid, nonconductive biomaterials are replaced by rigid and highly conductive freeze-fracture replicas. The three-dimensional contours of the ripple phase of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers were imaged with unprecedented resolution with commercial STMs and standard freeze-fracture techniques. Details of the ripple amplitude, asymmetry, and configuration unobtainable by electron microscopy or x-ray diffraction can be observed relatively easily with the STM.
Zasadzinski
J A
JA
Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106.
Schneir
J
J
Gurley
J
J
Elings
V
V
Hansma
P K
PK
D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008566:Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine