title: Chemical treatment of mica for atomic force microscopy can affect biological sample conformation.
abstract: An important aspect in the preparation of substrate materials to use in atomic force microscopy lies in the question of interactions introduced by treatments designed to immobilize the sample over the substrate. Here we used a mica substrate that was chemically modified with cationic nickel to immobilize actin filaments (F-actin). Chemical modification could be followed quantitatively by measuring the interaction force between the scanning tip and the mica surface. This approach allowed us to observe polymeric F-actin in a structure that resembles an actin gel. It also improved sample throughput and conferred sample stability as well as repeatability from run to run.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21949-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Marta B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Guttierre G B
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Martha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sorenson
authors.forename: Paulo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bisch
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weissmüller
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; C022838:nickel chloride; D009532:Nickel; C011934:mica