Work

Single-Particle Imaging of Macromolecules by Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Year: 2002

Type: review

Abstract: Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) of biological molecules in single-particle (i.e., unordered, nonaggregated) form is a new approach to the study of molecular assemblies, which are often too large and flexible to be amenable to X-ray crystallography. New insights into biological function on the molecular level are expected from cryo-EM applied to the study of such complexes "trapped" at different stages of their conformational changes and dynamical interactions. Important molecular machines involved in the fundamental processes of transcription, mRNA splicing, and translation are examples for successful applications of the new technique, combined with structural knowledge gained by conventional techniques of structure determination, such as X-ray crystallography and NMR.

Source: Annual Review of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure

DOI: 10.1146/annurev.biophys.31.082901.134202

Author: Joachim Frank

Institutions: State University of New York, Wadsworth Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Structural Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze