Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
08:05
Visualizing Membrane Ruffle Formation using Scanning Electron Microscopy
Published on: May 27, 2021
2.8K
An AFM-based pit-measuring method for indirect measurements of cell-surface membrane vesicles
Xiaojun Zhang1, Yuan Chen2, Yong Chen1
1Nanoscale Science and Technology Laboratory, Institute for Advanced Study, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, China; Department of Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, China.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|March 11, 2014
Summary
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was adapted to measure cell-surface membrane vesicles by inducing their transformation into detectable pits. This novel method revealed nanoscale and microscale vesicle populations on endothelial cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Circulating membrane vesicles are implicated in various diseases, but their precursors on cell surfaces remain poorly understood.
- Existing methods struggle to effectively measure cell-surface membrane vesicles due to imaging challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for indirectly measuring cell-surface membrane vesicles using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
- To characterize the populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles on cultured endothelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Developed an AFM-based method utilizing air drying to transform cell-surface membrane vesicles into detectable pits.
- Applied AFM to indirectly image and quantify cell-surface membrane vesicles on cultured endothelial cells.
Main Results:
- Successfully detected and quantitatively measured both nanoscale (<500 nm) and microscale (500 nm–2 μm) populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles.
- Observed nanoscale vesicles peaking at ~250 nm and microscale vesicles peaking at ~0.8 μm.
- Confocal microscopy only detected the microscale vesicle population.
Conclusions:
- The AFM-based pit-measuring method provides a novel approach for studying cell-surface membrane vesicles.
- This technique can help elucidate mechanisms of membrane vesicle formation and release.
- The study identified distinct nanoscale and microscale vesicle populations on endothelial cells.
