Ion-specific effects on the interaction between fibronectin and negatively charged mica surfaces

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and subsequent image analysis have been used to measure the ion-specific and ionic strength effects on the adsorption of fibronectin to mica surfaces in buffer solution. Increasing the concentration of monovalent Na(+) salt solutions is shown to cause a transition from tightly aggregated and "string-of-beads" structures on the mica surface to well dispersed single-molecule adsorption. Studying the effect of two divalent salts, Ni(2+) and Ca(2+), reveals a dramatic enhancement of fibronectin adsorption to mica in buffer solutions containing Ni(2+), but not for Ca(2+). The origin of this ion-specific effect is discussed.