Scanning probe microscopy has been applied in many studies to manipulate atoms or molecules. In particular, force spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool to elucidate intermolecular or intramolecular interactions and provide mechanical information. If enzymes could retain their activity when immobilized on probes, not only could enzyme-substrate interactions be investigated but also the probes could be used for precise biomolecular manipulation at the nano-scale. In our study, a method based on "Enzymatic Nanolithography" was successfully performed in a buffered solution using Staphylococcal serine V8 protease and AFM. To estimate the fabricating activity of the protease immobilized on the AFM tip to peptides immobilized on a substrate, we designed and synthesized peptides that showed enzymatic action specific to the protease. When the protease digested the reporter peptide a quencher residue was released from the main flame of the peptide and resulted in fluorescence. In the designed 9 mer peptides, TAMRA functioned as a good quencher for FAM. After contact of the protease-immobilized tip to the reporter peptide layer, a fluorescent area was observed by microscopic imaging.
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