scholarly journals Observation of Network Dynamics of Ryanodine Receptors on Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Membranes

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongli Hu ◽  
Xing Meng
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Dimensional Analysis ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Ryanodine Receptors ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Rabbit Muscle ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Dynamical Features

Rabbit muscle vesicles derived from sarcoplasmic reticulum were used as a material in studying networks of ryanodine receptors by cryo electron tomography. Three-dimensional analysis reveals the dynamical features of these networks. It was found that the connection angles were rotated along the transmembrane axis of ryanodine receptors. Majority of the connections was observed at domains 6/6 of ryanodine receptors while a small group of connections were showed at domains 9/10. The flexible rotation and connection shift seem to facilitate the extension of an annular network on the wall of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in a triad.

Cryo-Electron Tomography of Isolated Triad Junctions from Skeletal Muscle

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 94-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-E. Hsieh ◽  
M. Marko ◽  
B.K. Rath ◽  
S. Fleischer ◽  
T. Wagenknecht
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Tomographic Reconstruction ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Junctional Complexes ◽  
Triad Junction ◽  
Triad Junctions

In skeletal muscle, depolarization of the plasma membrane, which is initiated at the neuromuscular junction, is transduced to a rise in cytoplasmic calcium at specialized structures known as triad junctions (TJs). TJs occur in the myofiber’s interior at regions near the z-lines, where transversely oriented tubular invaginations of the plasma membrane (T-tubules) form junctions with two elements of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Isolation of membrane fractions that are enriched in junctional complexes and which retain function has been reported.Figure 1 shows a region of an electron micrograph containing an isolated TJ in the frozen-hydrated state. in the orientation shown, two SR-derived vesicles sandwich a flattened vesicle derived from the T-tubule. The junctional regions contain a complex distribution of density, presumably due to proteins that are known to be present in TJs. Electron tomography offers the means to determine the three-dimensional mass density from such micrographs, which would greatly aid in their interpretation. Only recently has the automated data collection technology for determining tomograms of non-stained, frozen-hydrated specimens become available. Here we describe the first tomographic reconstruction of a frozen-hydrated triad junction by automated electron tomography.

scholarly journals Skeletal muscle triad junction ultrastructure by Focused-Ion-Beam milling of muscle and Cryo-Electron Tomography

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Wagenknecht ◽  
Chyongere Hsieh ◽  
Michael Marko
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
A New Technique ◽  
Triad Junction ◽  
Focused Ion Beam Milling

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has emerged as perhaps the only practical technique for revealing nanometer-level three-dimensional structural details of subcellular macromolecular complexes in their native context, inside the cell. As currently practiced, the specimen should be 0.1- 0.2 microns in thickness to achieve optimal resolution. Thus, application of cryo-ET to intact frozen (vitreous) tissues, such as skeletal muscle, requires that they be sectioned. Cryo-ultramicrotomy is notoriously difficult and artifact-prone when applied to frozen cells and tissue, but a new technique, focused ion beam milling (cryo-FIB), shows great promise for “thinning” frozen biological specimens. Here we describe our initial results in applying cryo-FIB and cryo-ET to triad junctions of skeletal muscle.

scholarly journals A guided approach for subtomogram averaging of challenging macromolecular assemblies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Grotjahn ◽  
Saikat Chowdhury ◽  
Gabriel C. Lander
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Macromolecular Assemblies ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Subtomogram Averaging

AbstractCryo-electron tomography is a powerful biophysical technique enabling three-dimensional visualization of complex biological systems. Macromolecular targets of interest identified within cryo-tomograms can be computationally extracted, aligned, and averaged to produce a better-resolved structure through a process called subtomogram averaging (STA). However, accurate alignment of macromolecular machines that exhibit extreme structural heterogeneity and conformational flexibility remains a significant challenge with conventional STA approaches. To expand the applicability of STA to a broader range of pleomorphic complexes, we developed a user-guided, focused refinement approach that can be incorporated into the standard STA workflow to facilitate the robust alignment of particularly challenging samples. We demonstrate that it is possible to align visually recognizable portions of multi-subunit complexes by providing a priori information regarding their relative orientations within cryo-tomograms, and describe how this strategy was applied to successfully elucidate the first three-dimensional structure of the dynein-dynactin motor protein complex bound to microtubules. Our approach expands the application of STA for solving a more diverse range of heterogeneous biological structures, and establishes a conceptual framework for the development of automated strategies to deconvolve the complexity of crowded cellular environments and improve in situ structure determination technologies.

scholarly journals Cryo-Electron Tomography Reveals the Comparative Three-Dimensional Architecture of Prochlorococcus, a Globally Important Marine Cyanobacterium

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (12) ◽  
pp. 4485-4493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire S. Ting ◽  
Chyongere Hsieh ◽  
Sesh Sundararaman ◽  
Carmen Mannella ◽  
Michael Marko
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Membrane System ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Photosynthetic Membrane ◽  
Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography

ABSTRACT In an age of comparative microbial genomics, knowledge of the near-native architecture of microorganisms is essential for achieving an integrative understanding of physiology and function. We characterized and compared the three-dimensional architecture of the ecologically important cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus in a near-native state using cryo-electron tomography and found that closely related strains have diverged substantially in cellular organization and structure. By visualizing native, hydrated structures within cells, we discovered that the MED4 strain, which possesses one of the smallest genomes (1.66 Mbp) of any known photosynthetic organism, has evolved a comparatively streamlined cellular architecture. This strain possesses a smaller cell volume, an attenuated cell wall, and less extensive intracytoplasmic (photosynthetic) membrane system compared to the more deeply branched MIT9313 strain. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that differences have evolved in key structural genes, including those encoding enzymes involved in cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Although both strains possess carboxysomes that are polygonal and cluster in the central cytoplasm, the carboxysomes of MED4 are smaller. A streamlined cellular structure could be advantageous to microorganisms thriving in the low-nutrient conditions characteristic of large regions of the open ocean and thus have consequences for ecological niche differentiation. Through cryo-electron tomography we visualized, for the first time, the three-dimensional structure of the extensive network of photosynthetic lamellae within Prochlorococcus and the potential pathways for intracellular and intermembrane movement of molecules. Comparative information on the near-native structure of microorganisms is an important and necessary component of exploring microbial diversity and understanding its consequences for function and ecology.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Highly Bent Architecture of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus by Using Cryo-Electron Tomography

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (7) ◽  
pp. 2588-2596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario J. Borgnia ◽  
Sriram Subramaniam ◽  
Jacqueline L. S. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Local Deformation ◽  
Cell Integrity ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Bdellovibrio Bacteriovorus ◽  
Internal Network ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Shape Changes

ABSTRACT Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus cells are small deltaproteobacterial cells that feed on other gram-negative bacteria, including human pathogens. Using cryo-electron tomography, we demonstrated that B. bacteriovorus cells are capable of substantial flexibility and local deformation of the outer and inner membranes without loss of cell integrity. These shape changes can occur in less than 2 min, and analysis of the internal architecture of highly bent cells showed that the overall distribution of molecular machines and the nucleoid is similar to that in moderately bent cells. B. bacteriovorus cells appear to contain an extensive internal network of short and long filamentous structures. We propose that rearrangements of these structures, in combination with the unique properties of the cell envelope, may underlie the remarkable ability of B. bacteriovorus cells to find and enter bacterial prey.

Three dimensional morphology of rabies virus studied by cryo-electron tomography

2011 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Guichard ◽  
Tino Krell ◽  
Michel Chevalier ◽  
Carole Vaysse ◽  
Olivier Adam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Structures Associated with Photoreceptor Cilia by Cryo-Electron Tomography

2016 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 129a-130a
Author(s):  
Zhixian Zhang ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Michael F. Schmid ◽  
Theodore G. Wensel
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography

scholarly journals Binding of an ankyrin-1 isoform to obscurin suggests a molecular link between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrils in striated muscles

2003 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Bagnato ◽  
Virigina Barone ◽  
Emiliana Giacomello ◽  
Daniela Rossi ◽  
Vincenzo Sorrentino
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Physiological Activity ◽  
Ryanodine Receptors ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Cells ◽  
Structural Function ◽  
Striated Muscles

Assembly of specialized membrane domains, both of the plasma membrane and of the ER, is necessary for the physiological activity of striated muscle cells. The mechanisms that mediate the structural organization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with respect to the myofibrils are, however, not known. We report here that ank1.5, a small splice variant of the ank1 gene localized on the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, is capable of interacting with a sequence of 25 aa located at the COOH terminus of obscurin. Obscurin is a giant sarcomeric protein of ∼800 kD that binds to titin and has been proposed to mediate interactions between myofibrils and other cellular structures. The binding sites and the critical aa required in the interaction between ank1.5 and obscurin were characterized using the yeast two-hybrid system, in in vitro pull-down assays and in experiments in heterologous cells. In differentiated skeletal muscle cells, a transfected myc-tagged ank1.5 was found to be selectively restricted near the M line region where it colocalized with endogenous obscurin. The M line localization of ank1.5 required a functional obscurin-binding site, because mutations of this domain resulted in a diffused distribution of the mutant ank1.5 protein in skeletal muscle cells. The interaction between ank1.5 and obscurin represents the first direct evidence of two proteins that may provide a direct link between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrils. In keeping with the proposed role of obscurin in mediating an interaction with ankyrins and sarcoplasmic reticulum, we have also found that a sequence with homology to the obscurin-binding site of ank1.5 is present in the ank2.2 isoform, which in striated muscles has been also shown to associate with the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Accordingly, a peptide containing the COOH terminus of ank2.2 fused with GST was found to bind to obscurin. Based on reported evidence showing that the COOH terminus of ank2.2 is necessary for the localization of ryanodine receptors and InsP3 receptors in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, we propose that obscurin, through multiple interactions with ank1.5 and ank2.2 isoforms, may assemble a large protein complex that, in addition to a structural function, may play a role in the organization of specific subdomains in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

scholarly journals Molecular architecture of inner dynein arms in situ in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella

2008 ◽  
Vol 183 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Huy Bui ◽  
Hitoshi Sakakibara ◽  
Tandis Movassagh ◽  
Kazuhiro Oiwa ◽  
Takashi Ishikawa
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Heavy Chains ◽  
Distal Side ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Dynein Arms

The inner dynein arm regulates axonemal bending motion in eukaryotes. We used cryo-electron tomography to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of inner dynein arms from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. All the eight different heavy chains were identified in one 96-nm periodic repeat, as expected from previous biochemical studies. Based on mutants, we identified the positions of the AAA rings and the N-terminal tails of all the eight heavy chains. The dynein f dimer is located close to the surface of the A-microtubule, whereas the other six heavy chain rings are roughly colinear at a larger distance to form three dyads. Each dyad consists of two heavy chains and has a corresponding radial spoke or a similar feature. In each of the six heavy chains (dynein a, b, c, d, e, and g), the N-terminal tail extends from the distal side of the ring. To interact with the B-microtubule through stalks, the inner-arm dyneins must have either different handedness or, more probably, the opposite orientation of the AAA rings compared with the outer-arm dyneins.

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