Adhesion Forces between Lewis(X) Determinant Antigens as Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy

C Tromas; J Rojo; J M de la Fuente; A G Barrientos; R García; S Penadés

doi:10.1002/1521-3773(20010817)40:16<3052::AID-ANIE3052>3.0.CO;2-Q

Adhesion Forces between Lewis(X) Determinant Antigens as Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2001;40(16):3052-5. doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20010817)40:16<3052::AID-ANIE3052>3.0.CO;2-Q.

Authors

C Tromas¹, J Rojo, J M de la Fuente, A G Barrientos, R García, S Penadés

Affiliation

¹ Grupo de Carbohidratos, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas, CSIC, Isla de La Cartuja Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain, Fax: (+34) 95-448-95-63.

PMID: 12203646
DOI: 10.1002/1521-3773(20010817)40:16<3052::AID-ANIE3052>3.0.CO;2-Q

Abstract

The adhesion forces between individual molecules of Lewis(X) trisaccharide antigen (Le(X) ) have been measured in water and in calcium solution by using atomic force microscopy (AFM, see graph). These results demonstrate the self-recognition capability of this antigen, and reinforce the hypothesis that carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction could be considered as the first step in the cell-adhesion process in nature.

Keywords: antigens; atomic force microscopy; carbohydrates; gold; noncovalent interactions.