Atomic Recombination in Dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Probes Distance in Lipid Assemblies: A Nanometer Chemical Ruler.

ABSTRACT: The lateral organization of biological membranes is thought to take place on the nanometer length scale. However, this length scale and the dynamic nature of small lipid and protein domains have made characterization of such organization in biological membranes and model systems difficult. Here we introduce a new method for measuring the colocalization of lipids in monolayers and bilayers using stable isotope labeling. We take advantage of a process that occurs in dynamic SIMS called atomic recombination, in which atoms on different molecules combine to form diatomic ions that are detected with a NanoSIMS instrument. This process is highly sensitive to the distance between molecules. By measuring the efficiency of the formation of ¹³C¹⁵N^- ions from ^13<

SUBMITTER: Moss FR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5287923 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature