Atomic force microscopy imaging of membrane proteins

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy is a technique particularly adapted to the study of flat objects. The possibility to use it in an aqueous environment makes it a unique tool in biology, providing high resolution structural information of biological membranes. Here we will review atomic force microscopy advances in the study of membrane protein imaging, covering reconstituted proteins in lipid bilayers, native membranes and reviewing function-related imaging and its outcomes.