1
|
Teimouri H, Taheri S, Saidabad FE, Nakazato G, Maghsoud Y, Babaei A. New insights into gold nanoparticles in virology: A review of their applications in the prevention, detection, and treatment of viral infections. Biomed Pharmacother 2025; 183:117844. [PMID: 39826358 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.117844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2024] [Revised: 12/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2025] [Indexed: 01/22/2025] Open
Abstract
Viral infections have led to the deaths of millions worldwide and come with significant economic and social burdens. Emerging viral infections, as witnessed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can profoundly affect all aspects of human life, highlighting the imperative need to develop diagnostic, therapeutic, and effective control strategies in response. Numerous studies highlight the diverse applications of nanoparticles in diagnosing, controlling, preventing, and treating viral infections. Due to favorable and flexible physicochemical properties, small size, immunogenicity, biocompatibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, and the ability to combine with antiviral agents, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown great potential in the fight against viruses. The physical and chemical properties, the adjustability of characteristics based on the type of application, the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, the ability to infiltrate cells such as phagocytic and dendritic cells, and compatibility for complexing with various compounds, among other features, transform AuNPs into a suitable tool for combating and addressing pathogenic viral agents through multiple applications. In recent years, AuNPs have been employed in various applications to fight viral infections. However, a comprehensive review article on the applications of AuNPs against viral infections has yet to be available. Given their versatility, AuNPs present an appealing option to address various gaps in combating viral infections. Hence, this review explores the attributes, antiviral properties, contributions to drug delivery, vaccine development, and diagnostic uses of AuNPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Teimouri
- Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Shiva Taheri
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Gerson Nakazato
- Laboratory of Basic and Applied Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Parana State CP6001, Brazil
| | - Yazdan Maghsoud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Abouzar Babaei
- Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kazakov EP, Kireev II, Golyshev SA. Techniques for Selective Labeling of Molecules and Subcellular Structures for Cryo-Electron Tomography. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2025; 90:173-187. [PMID: 40254397 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924604015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2024] [Revised: 01/09/2025] [Accepted: 01/20/2025] [Indexed: 04/22/2025]
Abstract
Electron microscopy (EM) is one of the most efficient methods for studying the fine structure of cells with a resolution thousands of times higher than that of visible light microscopy. The most advanced implementation of electron microscopy in biology is EM tomography of samples stabilized by freezing without water crystallization (cryoET). By circumventing the drawbacks of chemical fixation and dehydration, this technique allows investigating cellular structures in three dimensions at the molecular level, down to resolving individual proteins and their subdomains. However, the problem of efficient identification and localization of objects of interest has not yet been solved, thus limiting the range of targets to easily recognizable or abundant subcellular components. Labeling techniques provide the only way for locating the subject of investigation in microscopic images. CryoET imposes conflicting demands on the labeling system, including the need to introduce into a living cell the particles composed of substances foreign to the cellular chemistry that have to bind to the molecule of interest without disrupting its vital functions and physiology of the cell. This review examines both established and prospective methods for selective labeling of proteins and subcellular structures aimed to enable their localization in cryoET images.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny P Kazakov
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Igor I Kireev
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Sergei A Golyshev
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have marked only the beginning of the potential of this technique. To bring structure into cell biology, the modality of cryo-electron tomography has fast developed into a bona fide in situ structural biology technique where structures are determined in their native environment, the cell. Nearly every step of the cryo-focused ion beam-assisted electron tomography (cryo-FIB-ET) workflow has been improved upon in the past decade, since the first windows were carved into cells, unveiling macromolecular networks in near-native conditions. By bridging structural and cell biology, cryo-FIB-ET is advancing our understanding of structure-function relationships in their native environment and becoming a tool for discovering new biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N Young
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - Elizabeth Villa
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Malawska KJ, Takano S, Oisaki K, Yanagisawa H, Kikkawa M, Tsukuda T, Kanai M. Bioconjugation of Au 25 Nanocluster to Monoclonal Antibody at Tryptophan. Bioconjug Chem 2023. [PMID: 36893358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
We report the first bioconjugation of Au25 nanocluster to a monoclonal antibody at scarcely exposed tryptophan (Trp) residues toward the development of high-resolution probes for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and tomography (cryo-ET). To achieve this, we improved the Trp-selective bioconjugation using hydroxylamine (ABNOH) reagents instead of previously developed N-oxyl radicals (ABNO). This new protocol allowed for the application of Trp-selective bioconjugation to acid-sensitive proteins such as antibodies. We found that a two-step procedure utilizing first Trp-selective bioconjugation for the introduction of azide groups to the protein and then strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) to attach a bicyclononyne (BCN)-presenting redox-sensitive Au25 nanocluster was essential for a scalable procedure. Covalent labeling of the antibody with gold nanoclusters was confirmed by various analytical methods, including cryo-EM analysis of the Au25 nanocluster conjugates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Joanna Malawska
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shinjiro Takano
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kounosuke Oisaki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Haruaki Yanagisawa
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masahide Kikkawa
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Tsukuda
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Motomu Kanai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Russo CJ, Dickerson JL, Naydenova K. Cryomicroscopy in situ: what is the smallest molecule that can be directly identified without labels in a cell? Faraday Discuss 2022; 240:277-302. [PMID: 35913392 PMCID: PMC9642008 DOI: 10.1039/d2fd00076h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) has made great strides in the last decade, such that the atomic structure of most biological macromolecules can, at least in principle, be determined. Major technological advances - in electron imaging hardware, data analysis software, and cryogenic specimen preparation technology - continue at pace and contribute to the exponential growth in the number of atomic structures determined by cryoEM. It is now conceivable that within the next decade we will have structures for hundreds of thousands of unique protein and nucleic acid molecular complexes. But the answers to many important questions in biology would become obvious if we could identify these structures precisely inside cells with quantifiable error. In the context of an abundance of known structures, it is appropriate to consider the current state of electron cryomicroscopy for frozen specimens prepared directly from cells, and try to answer to the question of the title, both now and in the foreseeable future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Russo
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Joshua L Dickerson
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Katerina Naydenova
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gold nanomaterials and their potential use as cryo-electron tomography labels. J Struct Biol 2022; 214:107880. [PMID: 35809758 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2022.107880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rapid advances in cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) are driving a revolution in cellular structural biology. However, unambiguous identification of specific biomolecules within cellular tomograms remains challenging. Overcoming this obstacle and reliably identifying targets in the crowded cellular environment is of major importance for the understanding of cellular function and is a pre-requisite for high-resolution structural analysis. The use of highly-specific, readily visualised and adjustable labels would help mitigate this issue, improving both data quality and sample throughput. While progress has been made in cryo-CLEM and in the development of cloneable high-density tags, technical issues persist and a robust 'cryo-GFP' remains elusive. Readily-synthesized gold nanomaterials conjugated to small 'affinity modules' may represent a solution. The synthesis of materials including gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is increasingly well understood and is now within the capabilities of non-specialist laboratories. The remarkable chemical and photophysical properties of <3nm diameter nanomaterials and their emergence as tools with widespread biomedical application presents significant opportunities to the cryo-microscopy community. In this review, we will outline developments in the synthesis, functionalisation and labelling uses of both AuNPs and AuNCs in cryo-ET, while discussing their potential as multi-modal probes for cryo-CLEM.
Collapse
|
7
|
Structural analysis of receptors and actin polarity in platelet protrusions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105004118. [PMID: 34504018 PMCID: PMC8449362 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105004118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During activation the platelet cytoskeleton is reorganized, inducing adhesion to the extracellular matrix and cell spreading. These processes are critical for wound healing and clot formation. Initially, this task relies on the formation of strong cellular-extracellular matrix interactions, exposed in subendothelial lesions. Despite the medical relevance of these processes, there is a lack of high-resolution structural information on the platelet cytoskeleton controlling cell spreading and adhesion. Here, we present in situ structural analysis of membrane receptors and the underlying cytoskeleton in platelet protrusions by applying cryoelectron tomography to intact platelets. We utilized three-dimensional averaging procedures to study receptors at the plasma membrane. Analysis of substrate interaction-free receptors yielded one main structural class resolved to 26 Å, resembling the αIIbβ3 integrin folded conformation. Furthermore, structural analysis of the actin network in pseudopodia indicates a nonuniform polarity of filaments. This organization would allow generation of the contractile forces required for integrin-mediated cell adhesion.
Collapse
|
8
|
DNA origami signposts for identifying proteins on cell membranes by electron cryotomography. Cell 2021; 184:1110-1121.e16. [PMID: 33606980 PMCID: PMC7895908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Electron cryotomography (cryoET), an electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) modality, has changed our understanding of biological function by revealing the native molecular details of membranes, viruses, and cells. However, identification of individual molecules within tomograms from cryoET is challenging because of sample crowding and low signal-to-noise ratios. Here, we present a tagging strategy for cryoET that precisely identifies individual protein complexes in tomograms without relying on metal clusters. Our method makes use of DNA origami to produce “molecular signposts” that target molecules of interest, here via fluorescent fusion proteins, providing a platform generally applicable to biological surfaces. We demonstrate the specificity of signpost origami tags (SPOTs) in vitro as well as their suitability for cryoET of membrane vesicles, enveloped viruses, and the exterior of intact mammalian cells. Asymmetric DNA signpost origami tags (SPOTs) precisely localize proteins SPOTs identify specific proteins in electron cryomicroscopy SPOTs have a high contrast “sign” and functionalized “post” base for targeting SPOTs recognize fluorescent fusion proteins on vesicles, viruses, and cell surfaces
Collapse
|
9
|
Boujemaa-Paterski R, Martins B, Eibauer M, Beales CT, Geiger B, Medalia O. Talin-activated vinculin interacts with branched actin networks to initiate bundles. eLife 2020; 9:e53990. [PMID: 33185186 PMCID: PMC7682986 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vinculin plays a fundamental role in integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Activated by talin, it interacts with diverse adhesome components, enabling mechanical coupling between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Here we studied the interactions of activated full-length vinculin with actin and the way it regulates the organization and dynamics of the Arp2/3 complex-mediated branched actin network. Through a combination of surface patterning and light microscopy experiments we show that vinculin can bundle dendritic actin networks through rapid binding and filament crosslinking. We show that vinculin promotes stable but flexible actin bundles having a mixed-polarity organization, as confirmed by cryo-electron tomography. Adhesion-like synthetic design of vinculin activation by surface-bound talin revealed that clustered vinculin can initiate and immobilize bundles from mobile Arp2/3-branched networks. Our results provide a molecular basis for coordinate actin bundle formation at nascent adhesions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajaa Boujemaa-Paterski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Bruno Martins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Matthias Eibauer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Charlie T Beales
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Benjamin Geiger
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Horev MB, Zabary Y, Zarka R, Sorrentino S, Medalia O, Zaritsky A, Geiger B. Differential dynamics of early stages of platelet adhesion and spreading on collagen IV- and fibrinogen-coated surfaces. F1000Res 2020; 9. [PMID: 32566134 PMCID: PMC7281675 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.23598.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Upon wound formation, platelets adhere to the neighboring extracellular matrix and spread on it, a process which is critical for physiological wound healing. Multiple external factors, such as the molecular composition of the environment and its mechanical properties, play a key role in this process and direct its speed and outcome. Methods: We combined live cell imaging, quantitative interference reflection microscopy and cryo-electron tomography to characterize, at a single platelet level, the differential spatiotemporal dynamics of the adhesion process to fibrinogen- and collagen IV-functionalized surfaces. Results: Initially, platelets sense both substrates by transient rapid extensions of filopodia. On collagen IV, a short-term phase of filopodial extension is followed by lamellipodia-based spreading. This transition is preceded by the extension of a single or couple of microtubules into the platelet's periphery and their apparent insertion into the core of the filopodia. On fibrinogen surfaces, the filopodia-to-lamellipodia transition was partial and microtubule extension was not observed leading to limited spreading, which could be restored by manganese or thrombin. Conclusions: Based on these results, we propose that interaction with collagen IV stimulate platelets to extend microtubules to peripheral filopodia, which in turn, enhances filopodial-to-lamellipodial transition and overall lamellipodia-based spreading. Fibrinogen, on the other hand, fails to induce these early microtubule extensions, leading to full lamellipodia spreading in only a fraction of the seeded platelets. We further suggest that activation of integrin αIIbβ3 is essential for filopodial-to-lamellipodial transition, based on the capacity of integrin activators to enhance lamellipodia spreading on fibrinogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie B Horev
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yishaia Zabary
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Revital Zarka
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Simona Sorrentino
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Assaf Zaritsky
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Benjamin Geiger
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Scollo F, Seggio M, Torrisi RL, Bua RO, Zimbone M, Contino A, Maccarrone G. New fluorescent-labelled nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and interactions with cysteine and homocysteine to evaluate their stability in aqueous solution. APPLIED NANOSCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13204-019-01241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
12
|
Mondal K, Maitra T, Srivastava AK, Pawar G, McMurtrey MD, Sharma A. 110th Anniversary: Particle Size Effect on Enhanced Graphitization and Electrical Conductivity of Suspended Gold/Carbon Composite Nanofibers. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.9b06592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kunal Mondal
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415, United States
| | - Tanmoy Maitra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, Uttar Pradesh India
- FT Technologies, Sunbury House, Brookland Close, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7DX, U.K
| | - Alok Kumar Srivastava
- Defence Materials and Stores R & D Establishment (DRDO), GT Road, Kanpur 208013, Uttar Pradesh India
| | - Gorakh Pawar
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415, United States
| | - Michael D. McMurtrey
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415, United States
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, Uttar Pradesh India
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nievergelt AP, Viar GA, Pigino G. Towards a mechanistic understanding of cellular processes by cryoEM. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 58:149-158. [PMID: 31349128 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A series of recent hardware and software developments have transformed cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) from a niche tool into a method that has become indispensable in structural and functional biology. Samples that are rapidly frozen are encased in a near-native state inside a layer of amorphous ice, and then imaged in an electron microscope cooled to cryogenic temperatures. Despite being conceptually simple, cryoEM owns its success to a plethora of technological developments from numerous research groups. Here, we review the key technologies that have made this astonishing transformation possible and highlight recent trends with a focus on cryo-electron tomography. Additionally, we discuss how correlated microscopy is an exciting and perpendicular development route forward in this already rapidly growing field. We specifically discuss microscopy techniques that allow to complement time-dependent information of dynamic processes to the unique high resolution obtained in cryoEM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gonzalo Alvarez Viar
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gaia Pigino
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Weber MS, Wojtynek M, Medalia O. Cellular and Structural Studies of Eukaryotic Cells by Cryo-Electron Tomography. Cells 2019; 8:E57. [PMID: 30654455 PMCID: PMC6356268 DOI: 10.3390/cells8010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The architecture of protein assemblies and their remodeling during physiological processes is fundamental to cells. Therefore, providing high-resolution snapshots of macromolecular complexes in their native environment is of major importance for understanding the molecular biology of the cell. Cellular structural biology by means of cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) offers unique insights into cellular processes at an unprecedented resolution. Recent technological advances have enabled the detection of single impinging electrons and improved the contrast of electron microscopic imaging, thereby significantly increasing the sensitivity and resolution. Moreover, various sample preparation approaches have paved the way to observe every part of a eukaryotic cell, and even multicellular specimens, under the electron beam. Imaging of macromolecular machineries at high resolution directly within their native environment is thereby becoming reality. In this review, we discuss several sample preparation and labeling techniques that allow the visualization and identification of macromolecular assemblies in situ, and demonstrate how these methods have been used to study eukaryotic cellular landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Sarah Weber
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Matthias Wojtynek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84120, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|