Researchers detect internal motor structure of Mycoplasma mobile using high-speed atomic force microscopy
Summary
In collaboration with Kanazawa University – Professor Noriyuki Kodera and Professor Toshio Ando, researchers from Osaka City University used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to visualize at the nanometer level the movement of individual particles within the parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma mobile. After confirming the outline on the surface of the cell structure in an immobilized state with previous data gathered from electron microscopy, the team succeeded in visualizing the real-time movements of the internal structure by scanning the outside of the cell with HS-AFM.
Related image (video):
Below is a video showing M. mobile cells gliding on glass. They always go in the direction of their tapered end with speeds 2 to 4 μm per second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LRdogB3U8s
Credit: Makoto Miyata, Osaka City University
The movements of Mycoplasma mobile inside a cell were visualized by high-speed atomic force mycroscopy (right).
The white ovals lined up vertically are motor particles. The green arrows indicate the direction of gliding motion. The 5-second movement of the center of gravity of each particle is indicated by a rainbow-colored line.
Article
Journal: mBio
Title: Movements of Mycoplasma mobile gliding machinery detected by high-speed atomic force microscopy
Author:
JP