Single-Molecule Visualization of Biomolecules in the Designed DNA Origami Nanostructures Using High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract

Visualization of biomolecules is one of the straightforward ways to elucidate the physical properties of individual molecules and their reaction processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) enables direct imaging of biomolecules in the physiological environment. Because AFM visualizes the molecules at nanometer-scale spatial resolution, a versatile observation scaffold should be required for the precise imaging of molecules in the reactions. The emergence of DNA origami technology allows the precise placement of target molecules in the designed nanostructures and enables molecules to be detected at the single-molecule level. The DNA origami is applied for visualizing the detailed motions of target molecules in the reaction using high-speed AFM (HS-AFM), which enables the analysis of dynamic motions of biomolecules in a subsecond time resolution.