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Towards nanomicrobiology using atomic force microscopy

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 6, pages 674–680 (2008)Cite this article

Key Points

  • Following an introduction on the importance of single-cell and single-molecule tools, recent opportunities offered by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in microbiology are surveyed.

  • The author discusses progress made in using AFM to visualize and manipulate native bacterial membranes to a resolution of 0.5–1 nm.

  • Live-cell imaging studies are described, with an emphasis on mutant-strain analyses and on the real-time imaging of cell-wall remodelling.

  • The use of force spectroscopy for mapping the elasticity, chemical properties and specific receptors of individual cells is discussed.

  • The author then surveys recent progress in using single-cell and single-molecule techniques to quantify cell–cell and cell–solid interactions.

  • Finally, new possibilities offered by AFM-based nanosensors are highlighted.

Abstract

At the cross-roads of nanoscience and microbiology, the nanoscale analysis of microbial cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an exciting, rapidly evolving research field. Over the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in our use of AFM to observe membrane proteins and live cells at high resolution. Remarkable advances have also been made in applying force spectroscopy to manipulate single membrane proteins, to map surface properties and receptor sites on cells and to measure cellular interactions at the single-cell and single-molecule levels. In addition, recent developments in cantilever nanosensors have opened up new avenues for the label-free detection of microorganisms and bioanalytes.

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Figure 1: Live-cell imaging.
Figure 2: Real-time imaging of the structural dynamics of single Bacillus atrophaeus spores germinating under native conditions.
Figure 3: Mapping cell-surface receptors using single-molecule force spectroscopy.
Figure 4: Use of cantilever nanosensors in microbiology.

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Acknowledgements

The author dedicates this article to the memory of T.J. Beveridge, a pioneering expert in electron and atomic force microscopy, and thanks colleagues and 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. is a research associate at the FNRS.

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  1. Unité de chimie des interfaces, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/18, Louvain-la-Neuve, B-1348, Belgium

    Yves F. Dufrêne

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DATABASES

Entrez Genome Project

Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus niger

Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus cereus

Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus thuringiensis

Clostridium novyi NT

Corynebacterium glutamicum

Deinococcus radiodurans

Dictyostelium discoideum

Escherichia coli

Lactococcus lactis

Mycobacterium bovis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Myxococcus xanthus

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Shewanella oneidensis

Shewanella putrefaciens

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Streptococcus mutans

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Glossary

Atomic force microscopy

A sharp tip is scanned over the surface of a sample, which allows the interaction force between the tip and the sample to be measured and three-dimensional images to be generated.

Force spectroscopy

Uses atomic force microscopy in the force spectroscopy mode. The force that acts on the tip is measured as the sample is pushed towards the tip and retracted. In single-molecule force spectroscopy, single molecules are manipulated and their interaction forces are measured.

Chemical force microscopy

An atomic-force-microscopy modality in which modification of the tip with specific functional groups enables researchers to map the spatial arrangement of chemical groups and their interactions.

Cantilever

Atomic-force-microscopy tips are mounted on cantilever beams or triangles — that is, thin beams or triangles that behave as springs. The force that acts on the tip can thus be evaluated by measuring cantilever vertical bending (deflection) and by applying the classical Hooke's law for springs.

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Dufrêne, Y. Towards nanomicrobiology using atomic force microscopy. Nat Rev Microbiol 6, 674–680 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1948

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