Heat-fixation method used in an atomic force microscopy study of cell morphology.
In order to overcome the difficulties with existing methods for sample immobilization in imaging Halobacterium salinarum (H. salinarum) living in a highly salty medium by atomic force microscopy (AFM), a heat-fixation method was, for the first time, used to overcome existing problems in preparing samples for AFM. The effect on the cell morphology of the heat-fixation method was studied by MAC mode AFM, and was compared with the drop-and-dry and the polylysine-adhesion methods. It was found that the heat-fixation method can be successfully used for preparing Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria samples for AFM studies. Using this method, high-resolution AFM images of H. salinarum were obtained. Round protrusions on the cell surface and horn-like protrusions only at one pole of H. salinarum were observed.
Lu
Zhe-Xue
ZX
College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.
Zhang
Zhi-Ling
ZL
Shi
Wan-Liang
WL
Pang
Dai-Wen
DW
Xie
Zhi-Xiong
ZX
Sheng
Ping
P
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006358:Hot Temperature; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry
D012965:Sodium Chloride