原子力显微镜及其在肿瘤研究中的应用

原子力显微术是一种利用原子、分子间的相互作用力来观察物体表面超微结构的新型实验技术.介绍了原子力显微镜作为一种显微探测和操纵工具的主要特点及其在肿瘤研究中的优势,评述了国内外有关原子力显微镜在肿瘤的诊断、治疗、抗肿瘤药物开发等研究中的应用情况,展望了原子力显微镜应用于肿瘤单细胞研究的前景.     

原子力显微镜在染色体研究中的应用

原子力显微镜(Atomic force microscopy, AFM)是一种具有超高分辨率的显微成像仪器, 可在空气、真空和液体环境下对样本的表面结构进行实时观察。文章介绍了AFM的工作原理, AFM相对于其他种类显微镜在观察生物样本方面的显著优势, 并综述了AFM在染色体研究中的应用和进展。     

肌动蛋白的原子力显微镜研究

原子力显微镜 (AFM )是一种能够在生理条件下对生物大分子、活细胞表面以及细胞膜下结构进行在体或离体研究的强有力的新型工具 ,具有原子级的成像分辨率和纳牛顿级的力测定功能。目前原子力显微镜已被广泛地应用于生物大分子、超分子体系的结构解析、动力学过程观察 ,分子力学研究及细胞功能鉴定。原子力显微镜能够通过尖锐探针扫描待测样品表面 ,收集被测样品表面地貌坐标数据从而对单分子或细胞进行成像或操作 ,并能通过移动探针、记录探针与样品之间的作用力 ,对生物大分子 (蛋白质、核酸和多糖等 )的结构力学特性进行分析以获取分子构象、功能及其相互关系的有用信息。肌动蛋白是一种细胞内普遍存在 ,具有广泛、复杂生理功能的重要蛋白质 ,原子力显微镜的各项功能已广泛地用于肌动蛋白结构、功能及动力学研究。通过综述原子力显微镜在肌动蛋白研究中的应用 ,阐明了原子力显微镜在现代生命科学研究中的重要意义及巨大应用前景。     

原子力显微镜在细胞弹性研究中的应用

细胞表面的力学性质会随着细胞所处环境的不同而发生改变,它的变化间接反映出胞内复杂的生理过程。原子力显微镜（atomic force microscope,AFM）能以高的灵敏度和分辨率检测活体细胞,通过利用赫兹模型分析力曲线可以获得细胞的弹性信息。本文简介了原子力显微镜的工作原理与工作模式,着重介绍利用AFM力曲线检测细胞弹性的方法及其在细胞运动、细胞骨架、细胞黏附、细胞病理等方面的应用成果,表明AFM已经成为细胞弹性研究中十分重要的显微技术。     

原子力显微镜在纳米生物学研究中的应用

原子力显微镜(atomic force microscope,AFM)自从1986年发明以来,作为一种重要的单分子研究工具,在包括细胞粘附、蛋白折叠以及蛋白间的相互作用等生物学过程的研究中得到了广泛应用。本文主要介绍原子力显微镜的原理,着重于研究相互作用时能垒大小的确定,以及常用的单分子表面修饰方法。     

原子力显微技术在细胞生物学中的应用

对近年来原子力显微技术(AFM)在细胞生物学中的应用大致归纳为几个方面进行了简单介绍,还指出了细胞表面结构难于识别、细胞内部结构难以原位观察等AFM应用于细胞生物学中的难题,并提出了“形状探针”的概念以及超薄切片的思路以解决这些难题。AFM在细胞生物学中的应用研究还远远不足,需要更多的科学工作者加入其中。     

利用原子力显微镜对A型流感病毒的形态学研究

利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)观察流感病毒(H1N1),探讨AFM在病毒形态研究中的应用,为病毒形态学研究提供一种新型、简便、快捷的工具.TEM采用磷钨酸负染方法,AFM采用轻敲模式在大气常温下扫描成像,并对主要指标长度(直径)、Ra、Rq等进行测量.两种方法最终得到相似的形态学结果,流感病毒呈球状、丝状,并有一些形状介于两者之间.TEM提供了流感病毒二维图像,可见钉状突起,AFM则呈现了流感病毒三维图像,且可见病毒表面有凹凸不平的特征和边缘有齿轮状的突起,同时获得表面粗糙度等可以量化指标.与TEM观察相比,原子力显微镜是一种制样简单、观察直观的新型病毒形态学研究工具,其表征参数可以作为病毒形态学研究的量化指标.     

原子力显微镜在生物医学上的应用

原子力显微镜(atomic force microscope,AFM)是扫描探针显微镜(SPM)的一种,其分辨率达到纳米级,能对从原子到分子尺度的结构进行三维成像和测量,能观察任何活的生命样品及动态过程。本文概述了AFM的基本工作原理及在生物医学上对DNA、蛋白质、细胞及生物过程等方面进行的研究。     

不同固定条件下细胞与活细胞的原子力显微镜实时观察

用原子力显微镜（atom force microscope,AFM）观察固定细胞的最佳条件并在生理溶液中对活细胞实时观察.用不同固定剂和同一固定剂的不同浓度处理细胞;不加任何固定剂而直接在生理溶液中对细胞进行AFM成像.以戊二醛为固定剂并使用0.5%～1%的浓度固定细胞,后用缓冲溶液漂洗,再对细胞进行成像时可获得质量良好的图像.直接在生理溶液中进行观察,成像质量低于使用固定剂的细胞,但保持了细胞的生活原貌.在用原子力显微镜高分辨率观察生理条件下细胞的特点时,需要在制样与观测系统两方面进行改进.     

原子力显微术在生物研究中的应用

原子力显微术不仅能够提供样品表面纳米级别分辨率的三维图像数据,而且能够对pN级微小力进行测量,同时将两者结合发展出的TREC（topography and recognition）显微术还能够在进行高分辨成像的同时实现对特定分子的定位。原子力显微术的这些特点使之成为生物化学、细胞生物学等生物研究的有利工具。本文主要介绍了原子力显微镜高分辨成像和检测生物分子识别的原理,以及TREC显微术在生物学上的应用。     

Double minute chromosomes in mouse methotrexate-resistant cells studied by atomic force microscopy

Double minute chromosomes (DMs) are acentric, autonomously replicating extra-chromosomes and frequently mediate gene amplification in tumor and drug resistant cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool in microbiology. We used AFM to explore the ultrastructure of DMs in mouse fibroblasts 3T3R500. DMs in various phases of cell cycle were also studied in order to elucidate the mechanisms of their duplication and separation. Metaphase spread and induced premature condensed chromosomes (PCCs) were observed under the AFM. DMs were detected to be composed of two compact spheres linked by fibers. The fibers of DMs directly connected with metaphase chromosomes were observed. Many single-minutes and few DMs were detected in G1 PCCs, while more DMs were detected in S PCCs than in G1 PCCs. Besides, all of the DMs in G2 PCCs were coupled. Our present results suggested that DMs might divide into single-minutes during or before G1-phase, followed by duplication of the single-minutes in S-phase. Moreover, we introduced a new powerful tool to study DMs and got some ideal results.     

AFM对人乳腺癌细胞外纤连蛋白原纤维的形态学观察

探讨原子力显微镜在研究细胞和细胞外基质间的相互作用及细胞外基质的功能等方面的应用前景。应用原子力显微镜观察培养的人乳腺癌MCF 7 R细胞分泌的纤连蛋白原纤维的分布和排列规律 ,并与其他常规观察技术进行比较。应用原子力显微镜获得了多个乳腺癌细胞和细胞外纤连蛋白原纤维的整体和局部形貌图像 ,发现这些原纤维的分布和排列方式非常有规律 ,而且这些规律与其功能相适应。由于样品制备简单和分辨率较高等优点 ,原子力显微镜较适合于细胞外基质的原位观察     

DNA content and structure of (double) minutes of a methotrexate-resistant cell line

Summary We have determined the DNA content of intact double minutes (DMs) and of single minutes (SMs) by fluorometry of the individual chromatin bodies in metaphase spreads after staining with Feulgen-Schiff pararosaniline. We find that the intact DMs and SMs of the methotrexate-resistant mouse cell line 3T6R50 contain 4.4 megabase pairs (Mb) and 2.6 Mb DNA respectively, using the DNA content of E. coli (4.7 Mb) as a reference. As the pulsed field gradient gel electrophoresis experiments by van der Bliek et al. (1988) have indicated that the minutes of 3T6R50 cells contain a homogeneous population of 2.5 Mb DNA circles, we conclude that a SM contains one circular double strand DNA molecule of approximately 2.5 Mb, whereas DMs contain two.This study was supported in part by grant NKI 84-20 of the Queen Wilhelmina Fund to P.B.     

DNA content and structure of (double) minutes of a methotrexate-resistant cell line

We have determined the DNA content of intact double minutes (DMs) and of single minutes (SMs) by fluorometry of the individual chromatin bodies in metaphase spreads after staining with Feulgen-Schiff pararosaniline. We find that the intact DMs and SMs of the methotrexate-resistant mouse cell line 3T6R50 contain 4.4 megabase pairs (Mb) and 2.6 Mb DNA respectively, using the DNA content of E. coli (4.7 Mb) as a reference. As the pulsed field gradient gel electrophoresis experiments by van der Bliek et al. (1988) have indicated that the minutes of 3T6R50 cells contain a homogeneous population of 2.5 Mb DNA circles, we conclude that a SM contains one circular double strand DNA molecule of approximately 2.5 Mb, whereas DMs contain two.     

Atomic force microscopy imaging of dried or living bacteria.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to obtain micrographs of dried bacteria in air, and of living ones in their culture medium. Images of dried bacteria were very similar to images obtained elsewhere by the much more complicated cryoetching preparation technique for transmission electron microscopy. Living bacteria were immobilized on a poly-L-lysine film, and directly observed in their culture medium at a resolution unattainable by any other technique applicable to living material. The images were similar to those obtained in scanning electron microscopy where the specimen must be fixed, dried and coated with conductive material, and as a result, no longer viable.     

Adsorption and hydrolysis reactions of poly(hydroxybutyric acid) depolymerases secreted from Ralstonia pickettii T1 and Penicillium funiculosum onto poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid

Reaction processes of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] (P(3HB)) with two types of poly(hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) depolymerases secreted from Ralstonia pickettii T1 and Penicillium funiculosum were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The PHB depolymerase from R. pickettii T1 consists of catalytic, linker, and substrate-binding domains, whereas the one from P. funiculosum lacks a substrate-binding domain. We succeeded in observing the adsorption of single molecules of the PHB depolymerase from R. pickettii T1 onto P(3HB) single crystals and the degradation of the single crystals in a phosphate buffer solution at 37 degrees C by real-time AFM. On the contrary, the enzyme molecule from P. funiculosum was hardly observed at the surface of P(3HB) single crystals by real-time AFM, even though the enzymatic degradation of the single crystals was surely progressed. On the basis of the AFM observations in air of the P(3HB) single crystals after the enzymatic treatments, however, not only the PHB depolymerase from R. pickettii T1 but also that from P. funiculosum adsorbed onto the surface of P(3HB) crystals, and both concentrations of the enzymes on the surface were nearly identical. This means both enzymes were adsorbed onto the surface of P(3HB) single crystals. Moreover, QCM measurements clarified quantitatively the differences in detachment behavior between two types of PHB depolymerases, namely the enzyme from R. pickettii T1 was hardly detached but the enzyme from P. funiculosum was released easily from the surface of P(3HB) crystals under an aqueous condition.     

原子力显微技术在观测微生物表面形态中的应用

原子力显微技术作为一门新发展起来的显微成像技术,不仅具有在近生理条件下对样本实时、高分辨率三维成像等特点,而且能通过力矩测量探知样本物理性状。即给人们认识微生物的表面结构提供又一平台,也为揭示微生物表面结构与功能之间的关系提供一种新方法。介绍了对微生物表面形态观测中常用测量模式和某些样品固定方法:多孔膜技术、凹陷技术,概括近年来原子力显微技术在微生物学中的应用情况。     

Atomic force microscopy of the myosin molecule.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to study the structure of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin deposited onto a mica substrate from glycerol solution. Images of the myosin molecule have been obtained using contact mode AFM with the sample immersed in propanol. The molecules have two heads at one end of a long tail and have an appearance similar to those prepared by glycerol deposition techniques for electron microscopy, except that the separation of the two heads is not so well defined. The average length of the tail (155 +/- 5 nm) agrees well with previous studies. Bends in the myosin tail have been observed at locations similar to those observed in the electron microscope. By raising the applied force, it has been possible locally to separate the two strands of the alpha-helical coiled-coil tail. We conclude that the glycerol-mica technique is a useful tool for the preparation of fibrous proteins for examination by scanning probe microscopy.     

Observation of living cells using the atomic force microscope.

We used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to image samples immersed in a fluid in order to study the dynamic behavior of the membranes of living cells. AFM images of cultured cells immersed in a buffer were obtained without any preliminary preparation. We observed surface changes and displacements which suggest that the cells were still alive during the measurements. Some membrane details imaged with the AFM have also been observed using a scanning electron microscope and their dynamic behavior has been confirmed by microcinematography. We believe that the AFM will offer new insights into the exploration of dynamic changes affecting cell membranes.     

Force spectroscopy between acetylcholinesterase molecule and its natural substrate to study the effects of inhibitors and reactivators on enzyme activity

The force spectrum (FS) between acetylcholinesterase (AChE) molecule and its natural substrates acetylcholine (ACh) and the influences of AChE inhibitors and reactivators have been investigated with atomic force microscopy (AFM) at single molecule level in real-time. AChE and ACh were covalently immobilized onto the surfaces of gold-plated mica and Si3N4 tip of the atomic force microscope respectively. First, AChE was imaged in image mode of AFM and one of AChE molecules was selected as the center of the scanning. Then scanning mode was changed into force scanning mode and FS was recorded in a frequency of 5 x s(-1). Solutions of drugs or toxicants can be injected from the fluid-in tube of the fluid cell at any desired time. The FS between ideally immobilized normal AChE, Inhibited AChE or aged AChE and ACh each had their own shape features. The influences of drugs or toxicants on these features could be observed in real-time on the screen of the computer. These results demonstrated that AFM force spectroscopy could be used as a new method to study the effects of drugs and toxicants on the activity of the enzyme in pharmacology and toxicology.