title: Atomic force microscopy and drug discovery.
abstract: Atomic force microscopy is being used ever more widely in biological imaging, because of its unique ability to provide structural information at the single molecule level and under near-physiological conditions. Detailed topographic images of potential drug targets, such as proteins and DNA, have been produced, and the folding of modular proteins has been studied using single-molecule force spectroscopy. Recently, atomic force microscopy has been used to examine ligand-protein and ligand-DNA interactions, and to begin to determine the architecture of multi-subunit proteins, including a member of the superfamily of ionotropic receptors. Atomic force microscopy is fast becoming a valuable addition to the pharmaceutical industry's toolkit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK CB2 1PD.
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Edwardson
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D015195:Drug Design; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007364:Intercalating Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007364:Intercalating Agents; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D004247:DNA