Energy Transfer Induced by Dye Encapsulation in a Hybrid Nanoparticle‐Purple Membrane Reversible Assembly

A vertebrate disk membrane is composed of 40 % lipids and 60 % proteins. Its fracture faces have been classed into the plasmic (PF) and exoplasmic faces (EF), complementary with each other, like those of most other types of cell membranes. The hypothesis assuming the PF particles as representing membrane-associated proteins has been challenged by serious questions if they in fact emerge from the crystalline formation or decoration effects during freezing and shadowing processes. This problem seems to be yet unanswered, despite the remarkable case of the purple membrane of Halobacterium, partly because most observations have been made on the replicas from a single face of specimen, and partly because, in the case of photoreceptor membranes, the conformation of a rhodopsin and its relatives remains yet uncertain. The former defect seems to be partially fulfilled with complementary replica methods.

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Difference Fourier Analysis of Glucose Embedded and Frozen Hydrated Purple Membrane

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100053164 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 40 ◽

pp. 74-75

Author(s):

Jules S. Jaffe ◽

Robert M. Glaeser

Keyword(s):

Purple Membrane ◽

Data Set ◽

High Resolution Data ◽

X Ray ◽

X Ray Crystallography ◽

Fourier Techniques ◽

Versus Protein ◽

The Difference ◽

Difference Fourier ◽

Ideal Method

Although difference Fourier techniques are standard in X-ray crystallography it has only been very recently that electron crystallographers have been able to take advantage of this method. We have combined a high resolution data set for frozen glucose embedded Purple Membrane (PM) with a data set collected from PM prepared in the frozen hydrated state in order to visualize any differences in structure due to the different methods of preparation. The increased contrast between protein-ice versus protein-glucose may prove to be an advantage of the frozen hydrated technique for visualizing those parts of bacteriorhodopsin that are embedded in glucose. In addition, surface groups of the protein may be disordered in glucose and ordered in the frozen state. The sensitivity of the difference Fourier technique to small changes in structure provides an ideal method for testing this hypothesis.

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A quantitative approach to inner shell losses

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010010977x ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 526-527 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

R.D. Leapman ◽

P. Rez ◽

D.F. Mayers

Keyword(s):

Energy Transfer ◽

Cross Section ◽

Cross Sections ◽

Accurate Determination ◽

Background Intensity ◽

Core Excitation ◽

Quantitative Basis ◽

Cross Section Differential ◽

Bound Electrons

Microanalysis by EELS has been developing rapidly and though the general form of the spectrum is now understood there is a need to put the technique on a more quantitative basis (1,2). Certain aspects important for microanalysis include: (i) accurate determination of the partial cross sections, σx(α,ΔE) for core excitation when scattering lies inside collection angle a and energy range ΔE above the edge, (ii) behavior of the background intensity due to excitation of less strongly bound electrons, necessary for extrapolation beneath the signal of interest, (iii) departures from the simple hydrogenic K-edge seen in L and M losses, effecting σx and complicating microanalysis. Such problems might be approached empirically but here we describe how computation can elucidate the spectrum shape.The inelastic cross section differential with respect to energy transfer E and momentum transfer q for electrons of energy E0 and velocity v can be written as

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Fresnel interference in point-projection imaging of purple membrane

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100140609 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 846-847

Author(s):

X. Zhang ◽

J. Spence ◽

W. Qian ◽

D. Taylor ◽

K. Taylor

Keyword(s):

Detection Efficiency ◽

Mean Free Path ◽

Purple Membrane ◽

Unit Cell Dimension ◽

Experimental Point ◽

Membrane Thickness ◽

Low Energies ◽

Channel Plate ◽

Point Projection ◽

Inelastic Mean Free Path

Experimental point-projection shadow microscope (PPM) images of uncoated, unstained purple membrane (PM, bacteriorhodopsin, a membrane protein from Halobacterium holobium) were obtained recently using 100 volt electrons. The membrane thickness is about 5 nm and the hexagonal unit cell dimension 6 nm. The images show contrast around the edges of small holes, as shown in figure 1. The interior of the film is opaque. Since the inelastic mean free path for 100V electrons in carbon (about 6 Å) is much less than the sample thickness, the question arises that how much, if any, transmission of elastically scattered electrons occurs. A large inelastic contribution is also expected, attenuated by the reduced detection efficiency of the channel plate at low energies. Quantitative experiments using an energy-loss spectrometer are planned. Recently Shedd has shown that at about 100V contrast in PPM images of thin gold films can be explained as Fresnel interference effects between different pinholes in the film, separated by less than the coherence width.

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