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Atomic force microscopy of supported lipid bilayers

Nature Protocols volume 3, pages 1654–1659 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are widely used in biophysical research to investigate the properties of biological membranes and offer exciting prospects in nanobiotechnology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become a well-established technique for imaging SLBs at nanometer resolution. A unique feature of AFM is its ability to monitor dynamic processes, such as the interaction of bilayers with proteins and drugs. Here, we present protocols for preparing dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC/DPPC) bilayers supported on mica using small unilamellar vesicles and for imaging their nanoscale interaction with the antibiotic azithromycin using AFM. The entire protocol can be completed in 10 h.

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Figure 1: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs).
Figure 2: Preparation of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs).
Figure 3: Real-time imaging of bilayer–drug interactions.
Figure 4: Real-time imaging of bilayer–peptide interactions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank their collaborators for sharing exciting experiments and discussions. This work was supported by the National Foundation for Scientific Research (FNRS), the Université catholique de Louvain (Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche), the Région wallonne, the Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (Interuniversity Poles of Attraction Programme) and the Research Department of the Communauté française de Belgique (Concerted Research Action). Y.F.D. and M.D. are Research Associates of the FNRS, and R.B. is Research Director of the FNRS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Pharmacologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université catholique de Louvain, UCL 73.70, Avenue E. Mounier 73,, Brussels, B-1200, Belgium

    Marie-Paule Mingeot-Leclercq

  2. Unité de Chimie Biologique Industrielle, Gembloux, B-5030, Belgium

    Magali Deleu

  3. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire Numérique, Faculté Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, B-5030, Belgium

    Robert Brasseur

  4. Unité de Chimie des Interfaces, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/18, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Yves F Dufrêne

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  1. Marie-Paule Mingeot-Leclercq
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  2. Magali Deleu
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  4. Yves F Dufrêne
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Correspondence to Yves F Dufrêne.

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Mingeot-Leclercq, MP., Deleu, M., Brasseur, R. et al. Atomic force microscopy of supported lipid bilayers. Nat Protoc 3, 1654–1659 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2008.149

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