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Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4606–4609 (1998)

Single Molecule Imaging of Fluorescently Labeled Proteins on Metal by Surface Plasmons in Aqueous Solution

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Hiroaki Yokota1, Kiwamu Saito2, and Toshio Yanagida1,2,3,*
1Department of Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
2Yanagida Biomotron Project, ERATO, JST, 2-4-14 Senba-Higashi, Mino, Osaka 562-0035, Japan
3Department of Physiology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

Received 18 August 1997; published in the issue dated 18 May 1998

See accompanying Physics Focus

We report the first real time imaging of single fluorophores attached to protein molecules on metal surfaces in aqueous solution using surface plasmon resonance fluorescence microscopy. The fluorescence was enhanced by the surface plasmons as theoretically predicted for gold and silver. Active movement of single molecules of the fluorescently labeled motor protein, coupled to the ATPase reaction, was observed on the surfaces of gold and aluminum. This microscopy should prove a powerful tool to directly detect single molecule processes in biomolecule systems organized on a metal surface.

© 1998 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.4606
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.4606
PACS:
87.64.-t, 33.50.-j, 87.22.Jb

*To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Physiology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. Electronic address: yanagida@phys1.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

 
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