title: Imaging of single antigens, antibodies, and specific immunocomplex formation by scanning force microscopy.
abstract: The most sensitive analytical techniques available today for detecting immuno assay complexes are radio or enzyme immuno analytical techniques, by which quantities of 10(7)-10(8) analyte molecules can be detected. With the introduction of scanning force microscopy, a new method for detecting biological processes became available. Here, we examine the feasibility of using scanning force microscopy as a biosensitive tool. We demonstrate that single or multiple rabbit anti-human serum albumin molecules form complexes with preadsorbed single human serum albumin molecules on mica. However, no interaction is observed between human immunoglobulin G molecules and preadsorbed single albumin molecules; only separate antigens and antibodies are observed at random positions on the mica. This shows the ability of scanning force microscopy to act as a biosensor for detection of immunocomplexes, and to act as a very powerful tool to study molecule-surface interactions in general.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiation Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. quist@tsl.uu.se
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Quist
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Oscarsson
authors.forename: B U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Sundqvist
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000941:Antigens / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000648:ultrastructure; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000941:Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012709:Serum Albumin