title: A look at membrane patches with a scanning force microscope.
abstract: We combined scanning force microscopy with patch-clamp techniques in the same experimental setup and obtained images of excised membrane patches spanning the tip of a glass pipette. These images indicate that cytoskeleton structures are still present in such membrane patches and form a strong connection between the membrane and the glass wall. This gives the membrane patch the appearance of a tent, stabilized by a scaffold of ropes. The lateral resolution of the images depends strongly on the observed structures and can reach values as low as 10 nm on the cytoskeleton elements of a (inside-out) patch. The observations suggest that measurements of membrane elasticity can be made, opening the way for further studies on mechanical properties of cell membranes.
authors.affiliation: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hörber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mosbacher
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Häberle
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ruppersberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sakmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D005898:Glass; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008961:Models, Structural; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D014982:Xenopus laevis