ABSTRACT
The nano-kinetic movement of a single DNA molecule was observed and analyzed by a newly developed video-microscope system with an optical fiber, called a pin-fiber video scope. A single lambda-DNA molecule was put in focus using fiber-illumination, and the stretching and shrinking motion was measured. The molecule's kinetics were analyzed by numerical calculations and are discussed. A photocleavage phenomenon of DNA molecules was also visualized by the pin-fiber video scope. The new video-microscope system has the potential to observe and analyze the nano-kinetics of a single molecule.
Subject(s)
DNA/metabolism , Nanotechnology/methods , Fiber Optic Technology , Humans , Microscopy, Video , Optical FibersABSTRACT
The nano-kinetics of colloidal particles and living cells with the colloidal particles were visualized by a newly developed video scope. The system of the new video scope has a feature of fine controlling the illumination conditions by using a single optical fiber. This characteristic enables one to obtain clear images of living cells and the motions of colloidal particles by light-scattering effects. In the experiments, RBL-2H3 cells and gold colloidal particles were observed. Scattering images with high contrast and a dark background like in dark-field observations could be attained. In the experiments, a pulsed laser was also applied. The results obtained in this study could validate the effectiveness and possibility of a new video scope for applications to biological and biomedical fields.
Subject(s)
Microscopy/methods , Nanotechnology , Animals , Cell Line , Kinetics , SolutionsABSTRACT
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used to detect intracellular molecules from a single intact cell on monolayers of other cells. Intracellular molecules, e.g., histamine, were gradually increased in a mouse bone marrow-derived mast cell by a maturation process. A single cell was captured by a microsuction pipette, and the mass spectra of intracellular histamine were measured directly. Finally, the time course of the intracellular molecular contents and the maturation stage from a single cell were estimated.
Subject(s)
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization/methods , 3T3 Cells , Animals , Coculture Techniques , Culture Media, Conditioned , Fibroblasts/cytology , Mast Cells/cytology , MiceABSTRACT
The nano-kinetics movement of a single DNA molecule was visualized by a newly developed video-microscope system with an optical fiber, called a "pin-fiber video scope". The stretching and shrinking motion was clearly observed, and its kinetics was analyzed by numerical calculations. The new video-microscope system has a potential to analyze the nano-kinetics of a molecule.
