原子力显微镜在结构生物学中的应用

Atomic Force Microscopy in Structural Biology

近年来,原子力显微镜(Atomic Force Microscopy,简称AFM)已经成为发展最快的成像技术之一。本文简述原子力显微镜在结构生物学中的应用,其重点在高分辨成像,其中包括它对细胞膜表面、DNA、可溶性蛋白及膜蛋白的观测。除了在室温溶液中的应用,我们进一步评述最新发展的低温原子力显微镜(Cryo-AFM)。这些最新的结果显示,AFM作为一项独立的结构研究方法已日臻成熟,其应用范围日渐广泛。由于此项技术具有低成本、低消耗和高分辨的优点,并仍处在高速发展的阶段,很适于广泛推广并应用于不同的领域。我们认为,AFM将在不久的将来成为生物学中不可缺少的一个主要方法。

In recent years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become the most rapidly developing imaging method. In this review, we summarize its recent applications in structural biology, with an emphasis on high-resolution imaging, and illustrate these applications with images of cell membranes, DNA, soluble and membrane proteins. In addition to its applications in aqueous environments, we further discuss the newly developed cryogenic temperature AFM. With the Cryo-AFM many exciting images have been attained, including immunoglobulins, myosin and cell surfaces. Because of its low cost and broad applicability, we conclude that in the near future, AFM will certainly become an important and essential tool in structural biology.