Scanning Electron Microscopy Imaging of Large DNA Molecules Using a Metal-Free Electro-Stain Composed of DNA-Binding Proteins and Synthetic Polymers.
Adv Sci (Weinh)
; 11(28): e2309702, 2024 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38704672
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the first scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based DNA imaging in biological samples. This novel approach incorporates a metal-free electro-stain reagent, formulated by combining DNA-binding proteins and synthetic polymers to enhance the visibility of 2-nm-thick DNA under SEM. Notably, DNA molecules stain with proteins and polymers appear as dark lines under SEM. The resulting DNA images exhibit a thickness of 15.0±4.0 nm. As SEM is the primary platform, it integrates seamlessly with various chemically functionalized large surfaces with the aid of microfluidic devices. The approach allows high-resolution imaging of various DNA structures including linear, circular, single-stranded DNA and RNA, originating from nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Furthermore, quantum dots are successfully visualized as bright labels that are sequence-specifically incorporated into DNA molecules, which highlights the potential for SEM-based optical DNA mapping. In conclusion, DNA imaging using SEM with the novel electro-stain offers electron microscopic resolution with the ease of optical microscopy.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Polímeros
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DNA
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Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura
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Proteínas de Ligação a DNA
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article