Title :
Scanning tunneling microscopy of microtubules
Author :
Hameroff, Stuart ; Simic-Krstic, Y. ; Koruga, Djuro ; Kelley, Murray ; Mccuskey, Rcbert ; Krasovich, Margaret ; Schneiker, Conrad
Author_Institution :
Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ, USA
Abstract :
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to image neuronal microtubules, protein polymers which may be capable of information processing. Isolated microtubules fixed in 0.1% glutaraldehyde in reassembly buffer containing 0.8 M glycerol were imaged in air on a graphite substrate. STM probing showed structures approximately 25 nm in width, consisting of longitudinal filaments of about 4 nm width. These images match electron micrographs of microtubules and their component protofilaments
Keywords :
biological techniques and instruments; cellular biophysics; neurophysiology; scanning tunnelling microscopy; 4 nm; electron micrographs; glutaraldehyde; glycerol; graphite substrate; information processing; longitudinal filaments; neuronal microtubules; protein polymers; protofilaments; reassembly buffer; Atomic force microscopy; Atomic layer deposition; Biomedical imaging; Electrons; Information processing; Optical buffering; Polymers; Proteins; Surface topography; Tunneling;
Conference_Titel :
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 1989. Images of the Twenty-First Century., Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in
Conference_Location :
Seattle, WA
DOI :
10.1109/IEMBS.1989.96233
