Site-specific cluster labels

Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy of crescent-shaped plasmonic antennas

We present a study of the optical properties of gold crescent-shaped antennas by means of electron energy loss spectroscopy. These structures exhibit particularly large field enhancement near their sharp features, support two non-degenerate dipolar (i.e., optically active) localised surface plasmon resonances, and are widely tunable by a choice of their shape and dimensions. Depending on the volume and shape, we resolved up to four plasmon resonances in metallic structures under study in the energy range of 0.8 - 2.4 eV: two dipolar and quadrupolar mode and a multimodal assembly. The boundary-element-method calculations reproduced the observed spectra and helped to identify the character of the resonances. The two lowest modes are of particular importance owing to their dipolar nature. Remarkably, they are both concentrated near the tips of the crescent, spectrally well resolved and their energies can be tuned between 0.8 - 1.5 eV and 1.2 - 2.0 eV, respectively. As the lower spectral range covers the telecommunication wavelengths 1.30 and 1.55 μm, we envisage the possible use of such nanostructures in infrared communication technology.

Characterization and Quantification of Nanoparticle-Antibody Conjugates on Cells Using C(60) ToF SIMS in the Event-By-Event Bombardment/Detection Mode

Cluster C(60) ToF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) operated in the event-by-event bombardment-detection method has been applied to: a) quantify the binding density of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)-antiCD4 conjugates on the cell surface; b) identify the binding sites between AuNPs and antibody. Briefly, our method consists of recording the secondary ions, SIs, individually emitted from a single C(60) (1,2+) impact. From the cumulative mass spectral data we selected events where a specific SI was detected. The selected records revealed the SIs co-ejected from the nanovolume impacted by an individual C(60) with an emission area of ~ 10nm in diameter as an emission depth of 5-10 nm. The fractional coverage is obtained as the ratio of the effective number of projectile impacts on a specified sampling area (N(e)) to the total number of impacts (N(0)). In the negative ion mass spectrum, the palmitate (C(16)H(31)O(2) (-)) and oletate (C(18)H(33)O(2) (-)) fatty acid ions present signals from lipid membrane of the cells. The signals at m/z 197 (Au(-)) and 223 (AuCN(-)) originate from the AuNPs labeled antibodies (antiCD4) bound to the cell surface antigens. The characteristic amino acid ions validate the presence of antiCD4. A coincidence mass spectrum extracted with ion at m/z 223 (AuCN(-)) reveals the presence of cysteine at m/z 120, documenting the closeness of cysteine and the AuNP. Their proximity suggests that the binding site for AuNP on the antibody is the sulfur-terminal cysteine. The fractional coverage of membrane lipid was determined to be ~23% of the cell surfaces while the AuNPs was found to be ~21%. The novel method can be implemented on smaller size NPs, it should thus be applicable for studies on size dependent binding of NP-antibody conjugates.

Structure and mass analysis by scanning transmission electron microscopy

In the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) an electron beam of a few angstroms diameter is raster scanned over a thin sample and the scattered electrons are sequentially measured for each sample element irradiated. The mass, the elemental composition and the structure of a protein can be simultaneously assessed if all detector systems of the STEM are used. Aspects affecting the accuracy of the mass measurement technique and the demands placed on the instrument's dark-field detector system are outlined. In addition, the influences of some sample preparation techniques are noted and the mass-loss induced at ambient temperatures by the incidence of 80kV electrons on various biological samples is reported. Finally, the importance of the STEM for the structural analysis of proteins is documented by examples.

Tetrairidium, a four-atom cluster, is readily visible as a density label in three-dimensional cryo-EM maps of proteins at 10-25 A resolution

Heavy metal clusters derivatized to bind to designated chemical groups on proteins have great potential as density labels for cryo-electron microscopy. Smaller clusters offer higher resolution and penetrate more easily into sterically restricted sites, but are more difficult to detect. In this context, we have explored the potential of tetrairidium (Ir(4)) as a density label by attaching it via maleimide linkage to the C-terminus of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid protein. Although the clusters are not visible in unprocessed cryo-electron micrographs, they are distinctly visible in three-dimensional density maps calculated from them, even at only partial occupancy. The Ir(4) label was clearly visualized in our maps at 11-14 A resolution of both size variants of the HBV capsid, thus confirming our previous localization of this site with undecagold (Zlotnick, A., Cheng, N., Stahl, S. J., Conway, J. F., Steven, A. C., and Wingfield, P. T., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 9556-9561, 1997). Ir(4) penetrated to the interior of intact capsids to label this site on their inner surface, unlike undecagold for which labelling was achieved only with dissociated dimers that were then reassembled into capsids. The Ir(4) cluster remained visible as the resolution of the maps was lowered progressively to approximately 25 A.

Improved immuno double labelling for cell and structural biology

Colloidal gold is the most widely used electron dense marker in biological electron microscopy. The development of procedures for making gold particles of very defined sizes has made double or even multiple labelling possible using gold of two or more different sizes. Lately a new type of electron dense marker has been developed consisting of ligand-stabilized metal atom clusters rather than colloidal particles. The differences between these two types of markers are highlighted and the advantages of using metal atom clusters for immuno labelling of certain biological specimens are discussed. Possible methods of distinguishing two such cluster labels in double labelling experiments are reviewed.

Application of scanning transmission electron microscopy to the study of biological structure

The scanning transmission electron microscope provides structural and chemical information of a specimen at atomic-scale resolution and complements conventional transmission electron microscopy techniques. Mass measurements can now be performed routinely on a wide range of molecular and supramolecular structures using elastically scattered electrons. Recent progress in the acquisition and analysis of electron energy-loss spectroscopy data indicates that the scanning transmission electron microscope is an efficient tool for mapping the chemical composition of biological samples.