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Following single antibody binding to purple membranes in real time
Author(s) -
Kienberger Ferry,
Mueller Harald,
Pastushenko Vassili,
Hinterdorfer Peter
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7400149
Subject(s) - kepler , library science , art history , art , physics , computer science , astronomy , planet
Antibody binding to surface antigens in membranes is the primary event in the specific immune defence of vertebrates. Here we used force microscopy to study the dynamics of antibody recognition of mutant purple membranes from Halobacterium salinarum containing a genetically appended anti‐Sendai recognition epitope. Ligation of individual anti‐Sendai antibodies to their antigenic epitopes was observed over time. Their increase in number within a small selected area revealed an apparent kinetic on‐rate. The membrane‐bound antibodies showed many different conformations that ranged from globular to V‐ and Y‐like shapes. The maximum distance of two Fab fragments of the same antibody was observed to be ∼18 nm, indicating an overall strong intrinsic flexibility of the antibody hinge region. Fab fragments of bound anti‐Sendai antibodies were allocated to antigenic sites of the purple membrane, allowing the identification and localization of individual recognition epitopes on the surface of purple membranes.