Volume 5, Issue 7 pp. 582-591
Full Article

Nanoscale distinction of membrane patches – a TERS study of Halobacterium salinarum

Tanja Deckert-Gaudig

Tanja Deckert-Gaudig

Institute of Photonic Technology IPHT, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany

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René Böhme

René Böhme

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany

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Erik Freier

Erik Freier

Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany

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Aleksandar Sebesta

Aleksandar Sebesta

Institute of Photonic Technology IPHT, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany

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Tobias Merkendorf

Tobias Merkendorf

Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany

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Jürgen Popp

Jürgen Popp

Institute of Photonic Technology IPHT, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany

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Klaus Gerwert

Klaus Gerwert

Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany

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Volker Deckert

Corresponding Author

Volker Deckert

Institute of Photonic Technology IPHT, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany

Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, GermanySearch for more papers by this author
First published: 27 February 2012
Citations: 26

Abstract

The structural organization of cellular membranes has an essential influence on their functionality. The membrane surfaces currently are considered to consist of various distinct patches, which play an important role in many processes, however, not all parameters such as size and distribution are fully determined. In this study, purple membrane (PM) patches isolated from Halobacterium salinarum were investigated in a first step using TERS (tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy). The characteristic Raman modes of the resonantly enhanced component of the purple membrane lattice, the retinal moiety of bacteriorhodopsin, were found to be suitable as PM markers. In a subsequent experiment a single Halobacterium salinarum was investigated with TERS. By means of the PM marker bands it was feasible to identify and localize PM patches on the bacterial surface. The size of these areas was determined to be a few hundred nanometers. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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