Direct observations of freeze-etching processes of ice-embedded biomembranes by atomic force microscopy

✍ Scribed by Daisuke Yamamoto; Koji Tani; Toshiaki Gotoh; Tsutomu Kouyama

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 605 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0968-4328
• DOI: 10.1016/s0968-4328(03)00004-0

✦ Synopsis

We have fabricated a cryogenic atomic force microscope that is designed for structural investigation of freeze-fractured biological specimens. The apparatus is operated in liquid nitrogen gas at atmospheric pressure. Freeze-fracturing, freeze-etching and subsequent imaging are carried out in the same chamber, so that the surface topography of a fractured plane is easily visualized without ice contamination. A controlled superficial sublimation of volatile molecules allows us to obtain three-dimensional views of ultrastructures of biological membranes.