Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electron Microscopy

  • Chapter
Book cover Advanced Molecular Genetics

Abstract

The electron microscopy of nucleic acids is a relatively new procedure compared with classical electron microscopic methods that involve, e.g., thin-sectioning or shadowing. It developed, however, into a standard molecular biological technique with the introduction of the basic protein monolayer method by Kleinschmidt and Zahn (1959). Electron microscopy of DNA is generally simple and rapid and enables a large amount of information on molecular structure to be obtained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Baumeister W, Hahn M (1978) Specimen supports. In: Principles and techniques of electron microscopy. In: Hayat MA (ed) Biological application, vol 8, pp 1–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Brack Ch (1981) DNA electron microscopy. CRC Crit Rev Biochem 10: 113–169

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson J, Davis RW (1978) Quantitative electron microscopy of nucleic acids. In: Koehler JK (ed) Advanced techniques in biological electron microscopy, vol II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 123

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis RW, Simon M, Davidson N (1971) Electron microscope heteroduplex methods for mapping regions of base sequence homology in nucleic acids. Methods Enzymol 21: 413–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delius HJ, Westphal H, Axelrod N (1973) Length measurements of RNA synthesized in vitro by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. J Mol Biol 74: 677–687

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evenson DP (1977) Electron microscopy of viral nucleic acids. Methods Virol 6: 219–264

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inman RB, Schnos M (1970) Partial denaturation of thymine- and 5-bromo-uracil-containing DNA in alkali. J Mol Biol 49: 93–98

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmidt AK (1968) Monolyer techniques in electron microscopy of nucleic acid molecules. Methods Enzymol 12: 361–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmidt AK, Zahn RK (1959) Uber Desoxyribonucleinsaure-Molekiile in Protein-Mischfilmen. Z Naturforsch 14b: 770–779

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer J (1981) Electron microscopy of viral RNA. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 94 /95, pp 210–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris CF, Sinha NK, Alberts BM (1975) Reconstruction of bacteriophage T4 DNA replication apparatus from purified components: Rolling circle replication following de novo chain initiation on a single-stranded circular DNA template. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72: 4800–4804

    Google Scholar 

  • Vollenweider HJ (1981) Visual biochemistry: new insight into structure and function of the genome. Methods Biochem Anal (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Westmoreland BC, Szybalski W, Ris H (1969) Mapping of deletions and substitutions in heteroduplex DNA molecules of bacteriophage Lambda by electron microscope. Science 163: 1343–1348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Younghusband HB, Inman RB (1974) The electron microscopy of DNA. Annu Rev Biochem 43: 605–619

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danbara H, Timmis JK, Lurz R, Tim mis KN (1980) Plasmid replication functions: Two distinct segments of plasmid Rl, Rep A and RepD, express incompatibility and are capable of autonomous replication. J Bacteriol 44: 1126–1138

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang D (1970) Molecular weights of coliphages and coliphage DNA. Contour lengths and molecular weight of DNA from bacteriophages T4, T5 and T7, and from bovine papilloma virus. J Mol Biol 54: 557–565

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood RK, Inman RB (1982) Computer-assisted DNA length measurements from electron micrographs with special reference to partial denaturation mapping. Nucleic Acids Res 10: 1691–1706

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanger F, Air GM, Barrell BG, Brown NL, Coulson AR, Fiddes JC, Hutchison CA, Slocombe PM, Smith M (1977) Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage øX174 DNA. Nature 265: 687–695

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stüber D, Bujard H (1977) Electron microscopy of DNA: determination of absolute molecular weights and linear density. Mol Gen Genet 154: 299–303

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sutcliffe JG (1979) Complete nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 43: 77–90

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleckner N, Chan RK, Tye BK, Botstein D (1975) Mutagenesis by insertion of a drug resistance element carrying an inverted repetition. J Mol Biol 97: 561–575

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burkardt HJ, Riess G, Pühler A (1979) Relationship of group PI plasmids revealed by hetero-duplex experiments: RP1, RP4, R68 and RK2 are identical. J Gen Microbiol 114: 341–348

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis RW, Davidson N (1968) Electron-microscopic visualization of deletion mutations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 60: 243–250

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis RW, Simon M, Davidson N (1971) Electron microscope heteroduplex methods for mappin regions of base sequence homology in nucleic acids. Methods Enzymol 21: 413–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westmoreland BC, Szybalski W, Ris H (1969) Mapping of deletions and substitutions in heteroduplex DNA molecules of bacteriophage lambda by electron microscopy. Science 163: 1343–1348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inman RB (1966) A denaturation map of the λ phage DNA molecule determined by electron microscopy. J Mol Biol 18:464–476

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkardt HJ, Mattes R, Pühler A, Heumann W (1978) Electron microscopy and computerized evaluation of some partial denatured group P resistance plasmids. J Gen Microbiol 105:51–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkardt HJ, Pühler A, Wohlleben W (1979) Adenine + thymine content of different genes located on the broad host range plasmid RP4. J Gen Microbiol 117:135–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Abermann R, Salpeter MM (1974) Visualization of deoxyribonucleic acid molecules by protein film adsorption and tantalum-tungsten shadowing. J Histochem Cytochem 22: 845–855

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Axcidiacono A, Stasiak A, Koller Th (1980) Protein free specimen preparation of nucleic acids and nucleic acid-protein complexes. Proc 7th Eur Cong Electr Micr August 24–29, 1980. The Hague 2: 516–523

    Google Scholar 

  • Chattoraj DK, Gosule LC, Schellmann J A (1978) DNA condensation with polyamines. II Electron microscopic studies. J Mol Biol 121: 327–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubochet J, Ducommun M, Zollinger M, Kellenberger (1971) A new preparation method for dark-field microscopy of biomacromolecules. J Ultrastruct Res 35: 147–167

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher HW, Williams RC (1979) Electron microscopic visualization of nucleic acids and of their complexes with proteins. Annu Rev Biochem 48: 649–679

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith JD, Christiansen G (1978) Electron microscopic visualization of chromatin and other DNA-protein complexes. Ann Rev Biophys Bioeng 7: 19–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koller T, Sogo JM, Bujard H (1974) An electron microscopic method for studying nucleic acid-protein complexes. Visualization of RNA polymerase bound to the DNA of bacteriophage T7 and T3. Biopolymers 13: 995–1009

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nanninga N, Meyer M, Sloof P, Reijnders L (1972) Electron microscopy of Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA: spreading without a basic protein film. J Mol Biol 72: 807–810

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Portmann R, Koller T (1976) The divalent cation method for protein-free spreading of nucleic acid molecules. In: Ben-Shaul Y (ed) Sixth European Conp Electron Microscopy Jerusalem, vol 2. Tal, Israel, pp 546–548

    Google Scholar 

  • Sogo JM, Rodeno P, Koller Th, Vinuela E, Salas M (1979) Comparison of the AT–rich regions and the Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase binding sites in phage ø29 DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 7: 107–120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stettler UH, Weber H, Koller Th, Weissmann Ch (1979) Preparation and characterization of form V DNA, the duplex DNA resulting from association of complementary, circular single–stranded DNA. J Mol Biol 131: 21–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vollenweider HJ, Sogo JM, Koller T (1975) A routine method for protein-free spreading of double-and single-stranded nucleic acid molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72: 83–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams RC (1977) Use of poly lysine for adsorption of nucleic acids and enzymes to electron microscope specimen films. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74: 2311–2315

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Mikrobiologie und Biochemie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstraße 7, D-8520, Erlangen, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    H. Burkardt

  2. Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstraße 7, D-8520, Erlangen, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    H. Burkardt

  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Ihnestraße 63-73, D-1000, Berlin 33, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    R. Lurz

Authors
  1. H. Burkardt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Lurz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 8640, D-4800, Bielefeld, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    Alfred Pühler (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry, University Medical Centre, 9, Avenue de Champel, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland

    Kenneth N. Timmis (Professor) (Professor)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1984 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Burkardt, H., Lurz, R. (1984). Electron Microscopy. In: Pühler, A., Timmis, K.N. (eds) Advanced Molecular Genetics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69305-2_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69305-2_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-69307-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-69305-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation