Work

Toward structural-omics of the bovine retinal pigment epithelium

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: The use of an integrated systems biology approach to investigate tissues and organs has been thought to be impracticable in the field of structural biology, where the techniques mainly focus on determining the structure of a particular biomacromolecule of interest. Here, we report the use of cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) to define the composition of a raw bovine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) lysate. From this sample, we simultaneously identify and solve cryo-EM structures of seven different RPE enzymes whose functions affect neurotransmitter recycling, iron metabolism, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, axonal development, and energy homeostasis. Interestingly, dysfunction of these important proteins has been directly linked to several neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. Our work underscores the importance of cryo-EM in facilitating tissue and organ proteomics at the atomic level.

Source: Cell Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111876

Authors: Christopher E. Morgan, Zhemin Zhang, Masaru Miyagi, Marcin Golczak, Edward W. Yu

Institutions: Thiel College, Case Western Reserve University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Structural Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,200

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Center for Research Resources