Volume 20, Issue 6 pp. 432-447
Review

What is the biological relevance of the specific bond properties revealed by single-molecule studies?

Philippe Robert

Philippe Robert

INSERM UMR600, France

CNRS UMR 6212, France

Université de la Méditerranée, France

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Anne-Marie Benoliel

Anne-Marie Benoliel

INSERM UMR600, France

CNRS UMR 6212, France

Université de la Méditerranée, France

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Anne Pierres

Anne Pierres

INSERM UMR600, France

CNRS UMR 6212, France

Université de la Méditerranée, France

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Pierre Bongrand

Corresponding Author

Pierre Bongrand

INSERM UMR600, France

CNRS UMR 6212, France

Université de la Méditerranée, France

Professor.

Laboratoire ‘Adhésion et Inflammation’, INSERM UMR600, Parc de Luminy, Case 937, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 28 August 2007
Citations: 42

This paper was presented as part of a special issue of papers from the ‘AFMBiomed conference, Barcelona 2007’.

Abstract

During the last decade, many authors took advantage of new methodologies based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), biomembrane force probes (BFPs), laminar flow chambers or optical traps to study at the single-molecule level the formation and dissociation of bonds between receptors and ligands attached to surfaces. Experiments provided a wealth of data revealing the complexity of bond response to mechanical forces and the dependence of bond rupture on bond history. These results supported the existence of multiple binding states and/or reaction pathways. Also, single bond studies allowed us to monitor attachments mediated by a few bonds. The aim of this review is to discuss the impact of this new information on our understanding of biological molecules and phenomena. The following points are discussed: (i) which parameters do we need to know in order to predict the behaviour of an encounter between receptors and ligands, (ii) which information is actually yielded by single-molecule studies and (iii) is it possible to relate this information to molecular structure? Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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