High-resolution atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy of native membrane proteins

Membranes confining cells and cellular compartments are essential for life. Membrane proteins are molecular machines that equip cell membranes with highly sophisticated functionality. Examples of such functions are signaling, ion pumping, energy conversion, molecular transport, specific ligand binding, cell adhesion and protein trafficking. However, it is not well understood how most membrane proteins work and how the living cell regulates their function. We review how atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be applied for structural and functional investigations of native membrane proteins. High-resolution time-lapse AFM imaging records membrane proteins at work, their oligomeric state and their dynamic assembly. The AFM stylus resembles a multifunctional toolbox that allows the measurement of several chemical and physical parameters at the nanoscale. In the single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) mode, AFM quantifies and localizes interactions in membrane proteins that stabilize their folding and modulate their functional state. Dynamic SMFS discloses fascinating insights into the free energy landscape of membrane proteins. Single-cell force spectroscopy quantifies the interactions of live cells with their environment to single-receptor resolution. In the future, technological progress in AFM-based approaches will enable us to study the physical nature of biological interactions in more detail and decipher how cells control basic processes.