scholarly journals A Cryo-EM Grid Preparation Device for Time-Resolved Structural Studies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kontziampasis ◽  
David P. Klebl ◽  
Matthew G. Iadanza ◽  
Charlotte A. Scarff ◽  
Florian Kopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Structural Studies ◽  
Protein Conformations ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Rapid Mixing ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electron Microscopy Grid ◽  
Functional Mechanisms

AbstractStructural biology generally provides static snapshots of protein conformations that can inform on the functional mechanisms of biological systems. Time-resolved structural biology provides a means to visualise, at near-atomic resolution, the dynamic conformational changes that macromolecules undergo as they function. Recent advances in the resolution obtainable by electron microscopy (EM) and the broad range of samples that can be studied makes it ideally suited to time-resolved studies. Here we describe a cryo-electron microscopy grid preparation device that permits rapid mixing, voltage assisted spraying, and vitrification of samples. We show that the device produces grids of sufficient ice quality to enable data collection from single grids that results in a sub 4 Å reconstruction. Rapid mixing can be achieved by blot and spray or mix and spray approaches with a delay of ~10 ms, providing greater temporal resolution than previously reported approaches.

scholarly journals A cryo-EM grid preparation device for time-resolved structural studies

IUCrJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1024-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kontziampasis ◽  
David P. Klebl ◽  
Matthew G. Iadanza ◽  
Charlotte A. Scarff ◽  
Florian Kopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Biology ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Atomic Resolution ◽  
Protein Conformations ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Rapid Mixing ◽  
Large Loop ◽  
Domain Motions ◽  
Functional Mechanisms

Structural biology generally provides static snapshots of protein conformations that can provide information on the functional mechanisms of biological systems. Time-resolved structural biology provides a means to visualize, at near-atomic resolution, the dynamic conformational changes that macromolecules undergo as they function. X-ray free-electron-laser technology has provided a powerful tool to study enzyme mechanisms at atomic resolution, typically in the femtosecond to picosecond timeframe. Complementary to this, recent advances in the resolution obtainable by electron microscopy and the broad range of samples that can be studied make it ideally suited to time-resolved approaches in the microsecond to millisecond timeframe to study large loop and domain motions in biomolecules. Here we describe a cryo-EM grid preparation device that permits rapid mixing, voltage-assisted spraying and vitrification of samples. It is shown that the device produces grids of sufficient ice quality to enable data collection from single grids that results in a sub-4 Å reconstruction. Rapid mixing can be achieved by blot-and-spray or mix-and-spray approaches with a delay of ∼10 ms, providing greater temporal resolution than previously reported mix-and-spray approaches.

scholarly journals The novel asymmetric entry intermediate of a picornavirus captured with nanodiscs

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. e1501929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunwook Lee ◽  
Kristin L. Shingler ◽  
Lindsey J. Organtini ◽  
Robert E. Ashley ◽  
Alexander M. Makhov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Viral Proteins ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Icosahedral Symmetry ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Structural Studies ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Unique Site

Many nonenveloped viruses engage host receptors that initiate capsid conformational changes necessary for genome release. Structural studies on the mechanisms of picornavirus entry have relied on in vitro approaches of virus incubated at high temperatures or with excess receptor molecules to trigger the entry intermediate or A-particle. We have induced the coxsackievirus B3 entry intermediate by triggering the virus with full-length receptors embedded in lipid bilayer nanodiscs. These asymmetrically formed A-particles were reconstructed using cryo-electron microscopy and a direct electron detector. These first high-resolution structures of a picornavirus entry intermediate captured at a membrane with and without imposing icosahedral symmetry (3.9 and 7.8 Å, respectively) revealed a novel A-particle that is markedly different from the classical A-particles. The asymmetric receptor binding triggers minimal global capsid expansion but marked local conformational changes at the site of receptor interaction. In addition, viral proteins extrude from the capsid only at the site of extensive protein remodeling adjacent to the nanodisc. Thus, the binding of the receptor triggers formation of a unique site in preparation for genome release.

Cryo-EM Is a Powerful Tool, But Helical Applications Can Have Pitfalls

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Egelman ◽  
Fengbin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Macromolecular Complexes ◽  
Atomic Structures ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Main Technique

In structural biology, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as the main technique for determining the atomic structures of macromolecular complexes. This has largely been due to the introduction of direct...

Microtubule dynamics and microtubule caps: a time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy study

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
E.M. Mandelkow ◽  
E. Mandelkow ◽  
R.A. Milligan
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Microscopy Study ◽  
Electron Microscopy Study ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy

scholarly journals The Core and Holoenzyme Forms of RNA Polymerase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

2018 ◽  
Vol 201 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Kouba ◽  
Jiří Pospíšil ◽  
Jarmila Hnilicová ◽  
Hana Šanderová ◽  
Ivan Barvík ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Mycobacterium Smegmatis ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Bacterial Rna ◽  
High Degree

ABSTRACT Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is essential for gene expression and as such is a valid drug target. Hence, it is imperative to know its structure and dynamics. Here, we present two as-yet-unreported forms of Mycobacterium smegmatis RNAP: core and holoenzyme containing σA but no other factors. Each form was detected by cryo-electron microscopy in two major conformations. Comparisons of these structures with known structures of other RNAPs reveal a high degree of conformational flexibility of the mycobacterial enzyme and confirm that region 1.1 of σA is directed into the primary channel of RNAP. Taken together, we describe the conformational changes of unrestrained mycobacterial RNAP. IMPORTANCE We describe here three-dimensional structures of core and holoenzyme forms of mycobacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) solved by cryo-electron microscopy. These structures fill the thus-far-empty spots in the gallery of the pivotal forms of mycobacterial RNAP and illuminate the extent of conformational dynamics of this enzyme. The presented findings may facilitate future designs of antimycobacterial drugs targeting RNAP.

scholarly journals The U4 Antibody Epitope on Human Papillomavirus 16 Identified by Cryo-electron Microscopy

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (23) ◽  
pp. 12108-12117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Guan ◽  
Stephanie M. Bywaters ◽  
Sarah A. Brendle ◽  
Hyunwook Lee ◽  
Robert E. Ashley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Contact Point ◽  
Human Papillomavirus 16 ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
L1 Protein

ABSTRACTThe human papillomavirus (HPV) major structural protein L1 composes capsomers that are linked together through interactions mediated by the L1 C terminus to constitute a T=7 icosahedral capsid. H16.U4 is a type-specific monoclonal antibody recognizing a conformation-dependent neutralizing epitope of HPV thought to include the L1 protein C terminus. The structure of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) complexed with H16.U4 fragments of antibody (Fab) was solved by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) image reconstruction. Atomic structures of virus and Fab were fitted into the corresponding cryo-EM densities to identify the antigenic epitope. The antibody footprint mapped predominately to the L1 C-terminal arm with an additional contact point on the side of the capsomer. This footprint describes an epitope that is presented capsid-wide. However, although the H16.U4 epitope suggests the presence of 360 potential binding sites exposed in the capsid valley between each capsomer, H16.U4 Fab bound only to epitopes located around the icosahedral five-fold vertex of the capsid. Thus, the binding characteristics of H16.U4 defined in this study showed a distinctive selectivity for local conformation-dependent interactions with specific L1 invading arms between five-fold related capsomers.IMPORTANCEHuman papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) is the most prevalent oncogenic genotype in HPV-associated anogenital and oral cancers. Here we use cryo-EM reconstruction techniques to solve the structures of the HPV16 capsid complexes using H16.U4 fragment of antibody (Fab). Different from most other antibodies directed against surface loops, H16.U4 monoclonal antibody is unique in targeting the C-terminal arm of the L1 protein. This monoclonal antibody (MAb) is used throughout the HPV research community in HPV serological and vaccine development and to define mechanisms of HPV uptake. The unique binding mode of H16.U4 defined here shows important conformation-dependent interactions within the HPV16 capsid. By targeting an important structural and conformational epitope, H16.U4 may identify subtle conformational changes in different maturation stages of the HPV capsid and provide a key probe to analyze the mechanisms of HPV uptake during the early stages of virus infection. Our analyses precisely define important conformational epitopes on HPV16 capsids that are key targets for successful HPV prophylactic vaccines.

scholarly journals Single-particle cryo-EM—How did it get here and where will it go

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 361 (6405) ◽  
pp. 876-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Single Particle ◽  
Electron Crystallography ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Future ◽  
Electron Cryotomography

Cryo–electron microscopy, or simply cryo-EM, refers mainly to three very different yet closely related techniques: electron crystallography, single-particle cryo-EM, and electron cryotomography. In the past few years, single-particle cryo-EM in particular has triggered a revolution in structural biology and has become a newly dominant discipline. This Review examines the fascinating story of its start and evolution over the past 40-plus years, delves into how and why the recent technological advances have been so groundbreaking, and briefly considers where the technique may be headed in the future.

scholarly journals Rapid high-resolution structure analysis of small, biotechnologically relevant enzymes by cryo-electron microscopy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Dimos ◽  
Carl P.O. Helmer ◽  
Andrea M. Chanique ◽  
Markus C. Wahl ◽  
Robert Kourist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Structure Analysis ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution Structure ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries ◽  
Exquisite Specificity ◽  
Resolution Structure

Enzyme catalysis has emerged as a key technology for developing efficient, sustainable processes in the chemical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. Plants provide large and diverse pools of biosynthetic enzymes that facilitate complex reactions, such as the formation of intricate terpene carbon skeletons, with exquisite specificity. High-resolution structural analysis of these enzymes is crucial to understand their mechanisms and modulate their properties by targeted engineering. Although cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized structural biology, its applicability to high-resolution structure analysis of comparatively small enzymes is so far largely unexplored. Here, we show that cryo-EM can reveal the structures of ~120 kDa plant borneol dehydrogenases at or below 2 Å resolution, paving the way for the fast development of new biocatalysts that provide access to bioactive terpenes and terpenoids.

scholarly journals Conserved mechanisms of microtubule-stimulated ADP release, ATP binding, and force generation in transport kinesins

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Atherton ◽  
Irene Farabella ◽  
I-Mei Yu ◽  
Steven S Rosenfeld ◽  
Anne Houdusse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Catalytic Site ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Force Generation ◽  
Atp Binding ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Microtubule Binding ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Adp Release

Kinesins are a superfamily of microtubule-based ATP-powered motors, important for multiple, essential cellular functions. How microtubule binding stimulates their ATPase and controls force generation is not understood. To address this fundamental question, we visualized microtubule-bound kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motor domains at multiple steps in their ATPase cycles—including their nucleotide-free states—at ∼7 Å resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. In both motors, microtubule binding promotes ordered conformations of conserved loops that stimulate ADP release, enhance microtubule affinity and prime the catalytic site for ATP binding. ATP binding causes only small shifts of these nucleotide-coordinating loops but induces large conformational changes elsewhere that allow force generation and neck linker docking towards the microtubule plus end. Family-specific differences across the kinesin–microtubule interface account for the distinctive properties of each motor. Our data thus provide evidence for a conserved ATP-driven mechanism for kinesins and reveal the critical mechanistic contribution of the microtubule interface.

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