title: Nanoscale distinction of membrane patches--a TERS study of Halobacterium salinarum.
abstract: The structural organization of cellular membranes has an essential influence on their functionality. The membrane surfaces currently are considered to consist of various distinct patches, which play an important role in many processes, however, not all parameters such as size and distribution are fully determined. In this study, purple membrane (PM) patches isolated from Halobacterium salinarum were investigated in a first step using TERS (tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy). The characteristic Raman modes of the resonantly enhanced component of the purple membrane lattice, the retinal moiety of bacteriorhodopsin, were found to be suitable as PM markers. In a subsequent experiment a single Halobacterium salinarum was investigated with TERS. By means of the PM marker bands it was feasible to identify and localize PM patches on the bacterial surface. The size of these areas was determined to be a few hundred nanometers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonic Technology-IPHT, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deckert-Gaudig
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Böhme
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freier
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sebesta
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Merkendorf
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Popp
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerwert
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deckert
mesh_terms: D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000166:cytology*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D018717:Purple Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids; D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins