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Dumitru AC, Koehler M. Recent advances in the application of atomic force microscopy to structural biology. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:107963. [PMID: 37044358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.107963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for (functional) imaging and manipulating biomolecules at all levels of organization has enabled great progress in the structural biology field over the last decades, contributing to the discovery of novel structural entities of biological significance across many disciplines ranging from biochemistry, biomedicine and biophysics to molecular and cell biology, up to food systems and beyond. AFM has the capability to generate high-resolution topographic images spanning from the submolecular to the (sub)cellular range and can probe biochemical and biophysical sample properties in close to native conditions with excellent temporal resolution. Instrumental developments in the past decade enable dynamical structural and conformational studies of single biomolecules and new techniques for structural and chemical modification of the AFM probe have converted the cantilever into a versatile tool to study different biological phenomena, such as the mechanical stability of biomolecular complexes or the force induced dynamic changes of mechanically stressed proteins at the nanoscopic level. To improve the functionality of AFM and approach dynamic processes of complex biological systems ex vivo, AFM is combined with complementary microscopy, nanoscopy and spectroscopy tools. These multimethodological approaches provide unprecedented possibilities of probing physical, chemical and biological properties of complex cellular systems with high spatio-temporal resolution, leading to novel applications that correlate structural results with functional biochemical, biophysical, immunological, or genetic data on the system under study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra C Dumitru
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid 28029, Spain.
| | - Melanie Koehler
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany.
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Seeing the unseen: High-resolution AFM imaging captures antibiotic action in bacterial membranes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6196. [PMID: 36271086 PMCID: PMC9587010 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33839-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Borne R, Vita N, Franche N, Tardif C, Perret S, Fierobe HP. Engineering of a new Escherichia coli strain efficiently metabolizing cellobiose with promising perspectives for plant biomass-based application design. Metab Eng Commun 2021; 12:e00157. [PMID: 33457204 PMCID: PMC7797564 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2020.e00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The necessity to decrease our fossil energy dependence requests bioprocesses based on biomass degradation. Cellobiose is the main product released by cellulases when acting on the major plant cell wall polysaccharide constituent, the cellulose. Escherichia coli, one of the most common model organisms for the academy and the industry, is unable to metabolize this disaccharide. In this context, the remodeling of E. coli to catabolize cellobiose should thus constitute an important progress for the design of such applications. Here, we developed a robust E. coli strain able to metabolize cellobiose by integration of a small set of modifications in its genome. Contrary to previous studies that use adaptative evolution to achieve some growth on this sugar by reactivating E. coli cryptic operons coding for cellobiose metabolism, we identified easily insertable modifications impacting the cellobiose import (expression of a gene coding a truncated variant of the maltoporin LamB, modification of the expression of lacY encoding the lactose permease) and its intracellular degradation (genomic insertion of a gene encoding either a cytosolic β-glucosidase or a cellobiose phosphorylase). Taken together, our results provide an easily transferable set of mutations that confers to E. coli an efficient growth phenotype on cellobiose (doubling time of 2.2 h in aerobiosis) without any prior adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Chantal Tardif
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR7283, 31 ch. Joseph Aiguier, F-13402, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphanie Perret
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR7283, 31 ch. Joseph Aiguier, F-13402, Marseille, France
| | - Henri-Pierre Fierobe
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR7283, 31 ch. Joseph Aiguier, F-13402, Marseille, France
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Li M, Xi N, Liu L. Peak force tapping atomic force microscopy for advancing cell and molecular biology. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:8358-8375. [PMID: 33913463 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr01303c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides an exciting tool to detect molecular and cellular behaviors under aqueous conditions. AFM is able to not only visualize the surface topography of the specimens, but also can quantify the mechanical properties of the specimens by force spectroscopy assay. Nevertheless, integrating AFM topographic imaging with force spectroscopy assay has long been limited due to the low spatiotemporal resolution. In recent years, the appearance of a new AFM imaging mode called peak force tapping (PFT) has shattered this limit. PFT allows AFM to simultaneously acquire the topography and mechanical properties of biological samples with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. The practical applications of PFT in the field of life sciences in the past decade have demonstrated the excellent capabilities of PFT in characterizing the fine structures and mechanics of living biological systems in their native states, offering novel possibilities to reveal the underlying mechanisms guiding physiological/pathological activities. In this paper, the recent progress in cell and molecular biology that has been made with the utilization of PFT is summarized, and future perspectives for further progression and biomedical applications of PFT are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China and Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Ning Xi
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China and Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Müller DJ, Dumitru AC, Lo Giudice C, Gaub HE, Hinterdorfer P, Hummer G, De Yoreo JJ, Dufrêne YF, Alsteens D. Atomic Force Microscopy-Based Force Spectroscopy and Multiparametric Imaging of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems. Chem Rev 2020; 121:11701-11725. [PMID: 33166471 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During the last three decades, a series of key technological improvements turned atomic force microscopy (AFM) into a nanoscopic laboratory to directly observe and chemically characterize molecular and cell biological systems under physiological conditions. Here, we review key technological improvements that have established AFM as an analytical tool to observe and quantify native biological systems from the micro- to the nanoscale. Native biological systems include living tissues, cells, and cellular components such as single or complexed proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, or sugars. We showcase the procedures to customize nanoscopic chemical laboratories by functionalizing AFM tips and outline the advantages and limitations in applying different AFM modes to chemically image, sense, and manipulate biosystems at (sub)nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. We further discuss theoretical approaches to extract the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of specific biomolecular interactions detected by AFM for single bonds and extend the discussion to multiple bonds. Finally, we highlight the potential of combining AFM with optical microscopy and spectroscopy to address the full complexity of biological systems and to tackle fundamental challenges in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Müller
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Mattenstrasse 28, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andra C Dumitru
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Cristina Lo Giudice
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hermann E Gaub
- Applied Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 München, Germany
| | - Peter Hinterdorfer
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Gruberstrasse 40, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and Department of Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Subnanometer-scale imaging of nanobio-interfaces by frequency modulation atomic force microscopy. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:1675-1682. [PMID: 32779720 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recently, there have been significant advancements in dynamic-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) for biological applications. With frequency modulation AFM (FM-AFM), subnanometer-scale surface structures of biomolecules such as secondary structures of proteins, phosphate groups of DNAs, and lipid-ion complexes have been directly visualized. In addition, three-dimensional AFM (3D-AFM) has been developed by combining a high-resolution AFM technique with a 3D tip scanning method. This method enabled visualization of 3D distributions of water (i.e. hydration structures) with subnanometer-scale resolution on various biological molecules such as lipids, proteins, and DNAs. Furthermore, 3D-AFM also allows visualization of subnanometer-scale 3D distributions of flexible surface structures such as thermally fluctuating lipid headgroups. Such a direct local information at nano-bio interfaces can play a critical role in determining the atomic- or molecular-scale model to explain interfacial structures and functions. Here, we present an overview of these recent advancements in the dynamic-mode AFM techniques and their biological applications.
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Lo Giudice C, Zhang H, Wu B, Alsteens D. Mechanochemical Activation of Class-B G-Protein-Coupled Receptor upon Peptide-Ligand Binding. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:5575-5582. [PMID: 32578992 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Glucagon binding to the class-B G-protein-coupled glucagon receptor (GCGR) triggers the release of glucose from the liver during fasting. Recently, GCGR crystal structures have highlighted the conformation and molecular details of inactive and active receptor states. However, the dynamics of the conformational changes accompanying GCGR activation remains unclear. Here, we use multiplex force-distance curve-based atomic force microscopy (FD-based AFM) to probe in situ glucagon binding to individual GCGRs and monitor dynamically the transition to the active conformer. After a "dock" step, in which glucagon is partially bound to the GCGR extracellular domain, further interactions of the N-terminus with the transmembrane domain trigger an increase in the stiffness of the complex, adopting a highly stable and rigid "lock" conformer. This mechanotransduction is key for G-protein recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Lo Giudice
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Haonan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Beili Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Abstract
The bacterial cell envelope is essential for viability, the environmental gatekeeper and first line of defense against external stresses. For most bacteria, the envelope biosynthesis is also the site of action of some of the most important groups of antibiotics. It is a complex, often multicomponent structure, able to withstand the internally generated turgor pressure. Thus, elucidating the architecture and dynamics of the cell envelope is important, to unravel not only the complexities of cell morphology and maintenance of integrity but also how interventions such as antibiotics lead to death. To address these questions requires the capacity to visualize the cell envelope in situ via high-spatial resolution approaches. In recent years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has brought novel molecular insights into the assembly, dynamics, and functions of bacterial cell envelopes. The ultrafine resolution and physical sensitivity of the technique have revealed a wealth of ultrastructural features that are invisible to traditional optical microscopy techniques or imperceptible in their true physiological state by electron microscopy. Here, we discuss recent progress in our use of AFM imaging for understanding the architecture and dynamics of the bacterial envelope. We survey recent studies that demonstrate the power of the technique to observe isolated membranes and live cells at (sub)nanometer resolution and under physiological conditions and to track in vitro structural dynamics in response to growth or to drugs.
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