Structural/Functional Analyses of Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions by AFM

Here we review 20 years of investigations on the molecular mechanisms of protein-nucleic acid interactions using a combination of molecular biological and biochemical techniques and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM can be used for molecular imaging as well as for measurement of interactive forces between molecules. This chapter focuses on the imaging capabilities: (i) imaging abilities of AFM as a tool for biological studies, (ii) action mechanisms of nucleic acid-binding proteins revealed by AFM, and (iii) challenges in shifting from double-stranded to single-stranded nucleic acids.