Ultra-high resolution imaging of DNA and nucleosomes using non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 579; no. 7; pp. 1702 - 1706
• Main Authors: Davies, Emma, Teng, Kar Seng, Conlan, Robert Steven, Wilks, Stephen Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 14.03.2005
• Subjects: AFM; Aluminum Silicates - chemistry; Atomic force; atomic force microscope; cryo-electron microscopy; cryo-EM; DNA - chemistry; DNA - ultrastructure; double-stranded DNA; dsDNA; MeSH: DNA; Microscopy; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Molecular biology; Molecular structure; Nanotechnology; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleosome; Nucleosomes - chemistry; Nucleosomes - ultrastructure; PCR; polymerase chain reaction; UHV; ultra-high vacuum; UHV; Microscopy; Molecular structure; Nucleosome; AFM; MeSH: DNA; Molecular biology; cryo-EM; dsDNA; PCR; Atomic force; Nanotechnology
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.028

Visualisation of nano-scale biomolecules aids understanding and development in molecular biology and nanotechnology. Detailed structure of nucleosomes adsorbed to mica has been captured in the absence of chemical-anchoring techniques, demonstrating the usefulness of non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) for ultra-high resolution biomolecular imaging. NC-AFM offers significant advantages in terms of resolution, speed and ease of sample preparation when compared to techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography. In the absence of chemical modification, detailed structure of DNA deposited on a gold substrate was observed for the first time using NC-AFM, opening up possibilities for investigating the electrical properties of unmodified DNA.