title: Force spectroscopy with a small dithering of AFM tip: a method of direct and continuous measurement of the spring constant of single molecules and molecular complexes.
abstract: A new method of direct and continuous measurement of the spring constant of single molecule or molecular complex is elaborated. To that end the standard force spectroscopy technique with functionalized tips and samples is combined with a small dithering of the tip. The change of the dithering amplitude as a function of the pulling force is measured to extract the spring constant of the complex. The potentialities of this method are illustrated for the experiments with single bovine serum albumin-its polyclonal antibody (Ab-BSA) and fibrinogen-fibrinogen complexes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique de la Matière Complexe, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lilia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Chtcheglova
authors.forename: George T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Shubeita
authors.forename: Sergey K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sekatskii
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dietler
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011485:Protein Binding; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D005340:Fibrinogen