scholarly journals UVC inactivation of pathogenic samples suitable for cryo-EM analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie S. Depelteau ◽  
Ludovic Renault ◽  
Nynke Althof ◽  
C. Keith Cassidy ◽  
Luiza M. Mendonça ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Test Sample ◽  
Particle Analysis ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Ultraviolet C ◽  
And Function ◽  
Uvc Radiation

AbstractCryo-electron microscopy has become an essential tool to understand structure and function of biological samples. Especially for pathogens, such as disease-causing bacteria and viruses, insights gained by cryo-EM can aid in developing cures. However, due to the biosafety restrictions of pathogens, samples are often treated by chemical fixation to render the pathogen inert, affecting the ultrastructure of the sample. Alternatively, researchers use in vitro or ex vivo models, which are non-pathogenic but lack the complexity of the pathogen of interest. Here we show that ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation applied at cryogenic temperatures can be used to eliminate or dramatically reduce the infectivity of Vibrio cholerae and the bacterial virus, the ICP1 bacteriophage. We show no discernable structural impact of this treatment of either sample using two cryo-EM methods: cryo-electron tomography followed by sub-tomogram averaging, and single particle analysis (SPA). Additionally, we applied the UVC irradiation to the protein apoferritin (ApoF), which is a widely used test sample for high-resolution SPA studies. The UVC-treated ApoF sample resulted in a 2.1 Å structure indistinguishable from an untreated published map. This research demonstrates that UVC treatment is an effective and inexpensive addition to the cryo-EM sample preparation toolbox.

scholarly journals UVC inactivation of pathogenic samples suitable for cryoEM analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie S Depelteau ◽  
Ludovic Renault ◽  
Nynke Althof ◽  
C. Keith Cassidy ◽  
Luiza M Mendonca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Damage ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Test Sample ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Particle Analysis ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Whole Cells ◽  
And Function

Cryo-electron microscopy has become an essential tool to understand structure and function of biological samples, from individual proteins to whole cells. Especially for pathogens, such as disease-causing bacteria and viruses, insights gained by cryo-EM can aid in developing cures. However, due to the biosafety restrictions of human pathogens, samples are often treated by chemical fixation to render the pathogen inert, affecting the delicate ultrastructure of the sample. Alternatively, researchers use in vitro or ex vivo models, which are non-pathogenic but lack the complexity of the pathogen of interest. Here we show that ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation at cryogenic temperatures can be used to eliminate or dramatically reduce the infectivity of two model organisms, a pathogenic bacterium (Vibrio cholerae) and a virus-like particle (the ICP1 bacteriophage). We show no discernable structural impact of this treatment of either sample using two cryo-EM methods: cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) followed by sub-tomogram averaging (STA), and single particle analysis (SPA). Additionally, we applied the UVC irradiation to the protein apoferritin (ApoF), which is a widely used test sample for high resolution SPA studies. The UVC-treated ApoF sample resulted in a 2.1 A structure that did not reveal any discernable structural damage. Together, these results show that the UVC irradiation dose that effectively inactivates cryo-EM samples does not negatively impact their structure. This research demonstrates that UVC treatment is an effective and inexpensive addition to the cryo-EM sample preparation toolbox.

scholarly journals Coming of Age: Cryo-Electron Tomography as a Versatile Tool to Generate High-Resolution Structures at Cellular/Biological Interfaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6177
Author(s):  
Zuoneng Wang ◽  
Qingyang Zhang ◽  
Carsten Mim
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Particle Analysis ◽  
Important Method ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Versatile Tool ◽  
Biological Interfaces ◽  
Insight Into

Over the last few years, cryo electron microscopy has become the most important method in structural biology. While 80% of deposited maps are from single particle analysis, electron tomography has grown to become the second most important method. In particular sub-tomogram averaging has matured as a method, delivering structures between 2 and 5 Å from complexes in cells as well as in vitro complexes. While this resolution range is not standard, novel developments point toward a promising future. Here, we provide a guide for the workflow from sample to structure to gain insight into this emerging field.

scholarly journals Structural Conservation and Adaptation of the Bacterial Flagella Motor

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1492
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Carroll ◽  
Jun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Bacterial Flagella ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Flagellar Assembly ◽  
Structural Conservation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Structural Insights

Many bacteria require flagella for the ability to move, survive, and cause infection. The flagellum is a complex nanomachine that has evolved to increase the fitness of each bacterium to diverse environments. Over several decades, molecular, biochemical, and structural insights into the flagella have led to a comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of this fascinating nanomachine. Notably, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) have elucidated the flagella and their components to unprecedented resolution, gleaning insights into their structural conservation and adaptation. In this review, we focus on recent structural studies that have led to a mechanistic understanding of flagellar assembly, function, and evolution.

scholarly journals Architecture and function of human uromodulin filaments in urinary tract infections

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 369 (6506) ◽  
pp. 1005-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor L. Weiss ◽  
Jessica J. Stanisich ◽  
Maximilian M. Sauer ◽  
Chia-Wei Lin ◽  
Jonathan Eras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Urinary Tract Infections ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Bacterial Aggregation ◽  
Filament Structure ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
And Function

Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in human urine, and it forms filaments that antagonize the adhesion of uropathogens; however, the filament structure and mechanism of protection remain poorly understood. We used cryo–electron tomography to show that the uromodulin filament consists of a zigzag-shaped backbone with laterally protruding arms. N-glycosylation mapping and biophysical assays revealed that uromodulin acts as a multivalent ligand for the bacterial type 1 pilus adhesin, presenting specific epitopes on the regularly spaced arms. Imaging of uromodulin-uropathogen interactions in vitro and in patient urine showed that uromodulin filaments associate with uropathogens and mediate bacterial aggregation, which likely prevents adhesion and allows clearance by micturition. These results provide a framework for understanding uromodulin in urinary tract infections and in its more enigmatic roles in physiology and disease.

scholarly journals TRiC’s tricks inhibit huntingtin aggregation

eLife ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah H Shahmoradian ◽  
Jesus G Galaz-Montoya ◽  
Michael F Schmid ◽  
Yao Cong ◽  
Boxue Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Structural Description ◽  
Mutant Huntingtin ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Amyloid Aggregates ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Ring Complex ◽  
Exon 1

In Huntington’s disease, a mutated version of the huntingtin protein leads to cell death. Mutant huntingtin is known to aggregate, a process that can be inhibited by the eukaryotic chaperonin TRiC (TCP1-ring complex) in vitro and in vivo. A structural understanding of the genesis of aggregates and their modulation by cellular chaperones could facilitate the development of therapies but has been hindered by the heterogeneity of amyloid aggregates. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and single particle cryo-electron tomography (SPT) we characterize the growth of fibrillar aggregates of mutant huntingtin exon 1 containing an expanded polyglutamine tract with 51 residues (mhttQ51), and resolve 3-D structures of the chaperonin TRiC interacting with mhttQ51. We find that TRiC caps mhttQ51 fibril tips via the apical domains of its subunits, and also encapsulates smaller mhtt oligomers within its chamber. These two complementary mechanisms provide a structural description for TRiC’s inhibition of mhttQ51 aggregation in vitro.

scholarly journals Polymorphic Protective Dps–DNA Co-Crystals by Cryo Electron Tomography and Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Kamyshinsky ◽  
Yury Chesnokov ◽  
Liubov Dadinova ◽  
Andrey Mozhaev ◽  
Ivan Orlov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Angle ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Actual Structure ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Cell Parameters ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Dps Protein ◽  
Ray Scattering

Rapid increase of intracellular synthesis of specific histone-like Dps protein that binds DNA to protect the genome against deleterious factors leads to in cellulo crystallization—one of the most curious processes in the area of life science at the moment. However, the actual structure of the Dps–DNA co-crystals remained uncertain in the details for more than two decades. Cryo-electron tomography and small-angle X-ray scattering revealed polymorphous modifications of the co-crystals depending on the buffer parameters. Two different types of the Dps–DNA co-crystals are formed in vitro: triclinic and cubic. Three-dimensional reconstruction revealed DNA and Dps molecules in cubic co-crystals, and the unit cell parameters of cubic lattice were determined consistently by both methods.

scholarly journals Protective Dps–DNA co‐crystallization in stressed cells: an in vitro structural study by small‐angle X‐ray scattering and cryo‐electron tomography

FEBS Letters ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 593 (12) ◽  
pp. 1360-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liubov A. Dadinova ◽  
Yurii M. Chesnokov ◽  
Roman A. Kamyshinsky ◽  
Ivan A. Orlov ◽  
Maxim V. Petoukhov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Study ◽  
Small Angle ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Stressed Cells ◽  
Ray Scattering

scholarly journals Cryo-electron tomography of cells: connecting structure and function

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Lučić ◽  
Andrew Leis ◽  
Wolfgang Baumeister
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals hPSC-Derived Enteric Ganglioids Model Human ENS Development and Function

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Homa Majd ◽  
Ryan M Samuel ◽  
Jonathan T Ramirez ◽  
Ali Kalantari ◽  
Kevin Barber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Developmental Relationships ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
And Function

The enteric nervous system (ENS) plays a central role in gut physiology and mediating the crosstalk between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other organs. The human ENS has remained elusive, highlighting the need for an in vitro modeling and mapping blueprint. Here we map out the developmental and functional features of the human ENS, by establishing robust and scalable 2D ENS cultures and 3D enteric ganglioids from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). These models recapitulate the remarkable neuronal and glial diversity found in primary tissue and enable comprehensive molecular analyses that uncover functional and developmental relationships within these lineages. As a salient example of the power of this system, we performed in-depth characterization of enteric nitrergic neurons (NO neurons) which are implicated in a wide range of GI motility disorders. We conducted an unbiased screen and identified drug candidates that modulate the activity of NO neurons and demonstrated their potential in promoting motility in mouse colonic tissue ex vivo. We established a high-throughput strategy to define the developmental programs involved in NO neuron specification and discovered that PDGFR inhibition boosts the induction of NO neurons in enteric ganglioids. Transplantation of these ganglioids in the colon of NO neuron-deficient mice results in extensive tissue engraftment, providing a xenograft model for the study of human ENS in vivo and the development of cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative GI disorders. These studies provide a framework for deciphering fundamental features of the human ENS and designing effective strategies to treat enteric neuropathies.  

scholarly journals BHLHE40 Regulates IL-10 and IFN-γ Production in T Cells but Does Not Interfere With Human Type 1 Regulatory T Cell Differentiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Javier Uyeda ◽  
Robert A. Freeborn ◽  
Brandon Cieniewicz ◽  
Rosa Romano ◽  
Ping (Pauline) Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Surface Molecules ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
And Function ◽  
Tr1 Cells

Type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells are subset of peripherally induced antigen-specific regulatory T cells. IL-10 signaling has been shown to be indispensable for polarization and function of Tr1 cells. However, the transcriptional machinery underlying human Tr1 cell differentiation and function is not yet elucidated. To this end, we performed RNA sequencing on ex vivo human CD49b+LAG3+ Tr1 cells. We identified the transcription factor, BHLHE40, to be highly expressed in Tr1 cells. Even though Tr1 cells characteristically produce high levels of IL-10, we found that BHLHE40 represses IL-10 and increases IFN-γ secretion in naïve CD4+ T cells. Through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout, we determined that IL10 significantly increased in the sgBHLHE40-edited cells and BHLHE40 is dispensable for naïve CD4+ T cells to differentiate into Tr1 cells in vitro. Interestingly, BHLHE40 overexpression induces the surface expression of CD49b and LAG3, co-expressed surface molecules attributed to Tr1 cells, but promotes IFN-γ production. Our findings uncover a novel mechanism whereby BHLHE40 acts as a regulator of IL-10 and IFN-γ in human CD4+ T cells.

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