Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM) has superseded X-ray crystallography and NMR to emerge as a popular and effective tool for structure determination in recent times. It has become indispensable for the characterization of large macromolecular assemblies, membrane proteins, or samples that are limited, conformationally heterogeneous, and recalcitrant to crystallization. Besides, it is the only tool capable of elucidating high-resolution structures of macromolecules and biological assemblies in situ. A state-of-the-art electron microscope operable at cryo-temperature helps preserve high-resolution details of the biological sample. The structures can be determined, either in isolation via single-particle analysis (SPA) or helical reconstruction, electron diffraction (ED) or within the cellular environment via cryo-electron tomography (cryoET). All the three streams of SPA, ED, and cryoET (along with subtomogram averaging) have undergone significant advancements in recent times. This has resulted in breaking the boundaries with respect to both the size of the macromolecules/assemblies whose structures could be determined along with the visualization of atomic details at resolutions unprecedented for cryoEM. In addition, the collection of larger datasets combined with the ability to sort and process multiple conformational states from the same sample are providing the much-needed link between the protein structures and their functions. In overview, these developments are helping scientists decipher the molecular mechanism of critical cellular processes, solve structures of macromolecules that were challenging targets for structure determination until now, propelling forward the fields of biology and biomedicine. Here, we summarize recent advances and key contributions of the three cryo-electron microscopy streams of SPA, ED, and cryoET.
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May 2021
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In-cell and in vitro study of protein folding has been significantly advanced by using biophysical approaches including FRET, NMR, CEST-MRI and optical tweezers. Read more about this in the review by Zhang et al. (pp. 29–38) of the special biophysics issue, ‘Emerging trends in biophysics and their applications in modern biology’, guest edited by Kakoli Bose (ACTREC, India).
Review Article|
March 24 2021
An overview of the recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy for life sciences Available to Purchase
Anshul Assaiya;
Anshul Assaiya
*
Laboratory of Membrane Protein Biology, National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, S. P. Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
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Ananth Prasad Burada;
Ananth Prasad Burada
*
Laboratory of Membrane Protein Biology, National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, S. P. Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
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Surbhi Dhingra;
Surbhi Dhingra
*
Laboratory of Membrane Protein Biology, National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, S. P. Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
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Janesh Kumar
Laboratory of Membrane Protein Biology, National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, S. P. Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
Correspondence: Janesh Kumar ([email protected])
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
December 14 2020
Revision Received:
February 26 2021
Accepted:
March 09 2021
Online ISSN: 2397-8562
Print ISSN: 2397-8554
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society and the Royal Society of Biology
2021
Emerg Top Life Sci (2021) 5 (1): 151–168.
Article history
Received:
December 14 2020
Revision Received:
February 26 2021
Accepted:
March 09 2021
Citation
Anshul Assaiya, Ananth Prasad Burada, Surbhi Dhingra, Janesh Kumar; An overview of the recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy for life sciences. Emerg Top Life Sci 14 May 2021; 5 (1): 151–168. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20200295
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