scholarly journals Fine-tuning of gold nanorod dimensions and plasmonic properties using the Hofmeister effects

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger M. Pallares ◽  
Xiaodi Su ◽  
Suo Hon Lim ◽  
Nguyễn T. K. Thanh
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Gold Nanorod ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
New Method ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Hofmeister Salts ◽  
First Time ◽  
Ctab Micelle ◽  
Morphology Changes

CTAB micelle morphology changes induced by the addition of Hofmeister salts have been studied by cryo-electron microscopy for the first time. The effect of those changes is correlated to the growth of the rods, providing a new method for the fine-tuning of their dimensions.

scholarly journals A strategy to study intrinsically mixed folded proteins: The structure in solution of ataxin-3

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sicorello ◽  
G. Kelly ◽  
A. Oregioni ◽  
J. Nováček ◽  
V. Sklenář ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Folded Proteins ◽  
First Time ◽  
Structure In Solution

AbstractIt has increasingly become clear over the last two decades that proteins can contain both globular domains and intrinsically unfolded regions which both can contribute to function. While equally interesting, the disordered regions are difficult to study because they usually do not crystallize unless bound to partners and are not easily amenable to cryo-electron microscopy studies. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy remains the best technique to capture the structural features of intrinsically mixed folded proteins and describe their dynamics. These studies rely on the successful assignment of the spectrum, task not easy per se given the limited spread of the resonances of the disordered residues. Here, we describe assignment of the spectrum of ataxin-3, the protein responsible for the neurodegenerative Machado-Joseph disease. We used a 42 kDa construct containing a globular N-terminal josephin domain and a C-terminal tail which comprises thirteen polyglutamine repeats within a low-complexity region. We developed a strategy which allowed us to achieve 87% assignment of the spectrum. We show that the C-terminal tail is flexible with extended helical regions and interacts only marginally with the rest of the protein. We could also, for the first time, deduce the structure of the polyglutamine repeats within the context of the full-length protein and show that it has a strong helical propensity stabilized by the preceding region.

scholarly journals Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals That Sperm Modification Coincides with Female Fertility in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade M. Noble ◽  
Ethan C. Degner ◽  
Laura C. Harrington ◽  
Lena F. Kourkoutis
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Oviposition Behavior ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Storage Organs ◽  
Reproductive Events ◽  
Reproductive Processes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Burden Of Diseases

AbstractManipulating mosquito reproduction is a promising approach to reducing mosquito populations and the burden of diseases they carry. A thorough understanding of reproductive processes is necessary to develop such strategies, but little is known about how sperm are processed and prepared for fertilization within female mosquitoes. By employing cryo-electron microscopy for the first time to study sperm of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, we reveal that sperm shed their entire outer coat, the glycocalyx, within 24 hours of being stored in the female. Motility assays demonstrate that as their glycocalyx is shed in the female’s sperm storage organs, sperm transition from a period of dormancy to rapid motility—a critical prerequisite for sperm to reach the egg. We also show that females gradually become fertile as sperm become motile, and that oviposition behavior increases sharply after females reach peak fertility. Together, these experiments demonstrate a striking coincidence of the timelines of several reproductive events in Ae. aegypti, suggesting a direct relationship between sperm modification and female reproductive capacity.

scholarly journals Von der „Blobology“ zur atomaren Auflösung der Kryo-Elektronenmikroskopie

BIOspektrum ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 710-713
Author(s):  
Holger Stark
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Structure Determination ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Pharmaceutical Research ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution Structure ◽  
First Time

AbstractIt took almost a century to develop electron microscopy into a powerful method for high-resolution structure determination of proteins. Technical improvements in microscopy, detector technology, and image processing software contributed to the exponential growth of high-resolution structures of protein complexes determined by cryo-electron microscopy in recent years. We now succeeded in breaking another resolution barrier in cryo-electron microscopy and for the first time in achieving true atomic resolution, where single atoms in the protein can indeed be visualized individually. These improvements in cryo-EM indicate that the method will continue to gain importance, not only as a method for structure determination but also in the development of new drugs in pharmaceutical research.

scholarly journals Antigenic and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structure Analysis of a Chimeric Sapovirus Capsid

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 2664-2675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoyuki Miyazaki ◽  
David W. Taylor ◽  
Grant S. Hansman ◽  
Kazuyoshi Murata
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Insect Cells ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Chimeric Vlps ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
P Domain ◽  
Capsid Protein Vp1 ◽  
First Time ◽  
Icosahedral Particle

ABSTRACTThe capsid protein (VP1) of all caliciviruses forms an icosahedral particle with two principal domains, shell (S) and protruding (P) domains, which are connected via a flexible hinge region. The S domain forms a scaffold surrounding the nucleic acid, while the P domains form a homodimer that interacts with receptors. The P domain is further subdivided into two subdomains, termed P1 and P2. The P2 subdomain is likely an insertion in the P1 subdomain; consequently, the P domain is divided into the P1-1, P2, and P1-2 subdomains. In order to investigate capsid antigenicity, N-terminal (N-term)/S/P1-1 and P2/P1-2 were switched between two sapovirus genotypes GI.1 and GI.5. The chimeric VP1 constructs were expressed in insect cells and were shown to self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) morphologically similar to the parental VLPs. Interestingly, the chimeric VLPs had higher levels of cross-reactivities to heterogeneous antisera than the parental VLPs. In order to better understand the antigenicity from a structural perspective, we determined an intermediate-resolution (8.5-Å) cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of a chimeric VLP and developed a VP1 homology model. The cryo-EM structure revealed that the P domain dimers were raised slightly (∼5 Å) above the S domain. The VP1 homology model allowed us predict the S domain (67–229) and P1-1 (229–280), P2 (281–447), and P1-2 (448–567) subdomains. Our results suggested that the raised P dimers might expose immunoreactive S/P1-1 subdomain epitopes. Consequently, the higher levels of cross-reactivities with the chimeric VLPs resulted from a combination of GI.1 and GI.5 epitopes.IMPORTANCEWe developed sapovirus chimeric VP1 constructs and produced the chimeric VLPs in insect cells. We found that both chimeric VLPs had a higher level of cross-reactivity against heterogeneous VLP antisera than the parental VLPs. The cryo-EM structure of one chimeric VLP (Yokote/Mc114) was solved to 8.5-Å resolution. A homology model of the VP1 indicated for the first time the putative S and P (P1-1, P2, and P1-2) domains. The overall structure of Yokote/Mc114 contained features common among other caliciviruses. We showed that the P2 subdomain was mainly involved in the homodimeric interface, whereas a large gap between the P1 subdomains had fewer interactions.

Selective Sampling and Orientation of Non-Homogeneous Tissues

1968 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 98-99
Author(s):  
C. C. Clawson ◽  
L. W. Anderson ◽  
R. A. Good
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
New Method ◽  
Microscope Examination ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Selective Sampling ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Specific Orientation

Investigations which require electron microscope examination of a few specific areas of non-homogeneous tissues make random sampling of small blocks an inefficient and unrewarding procedure. Therefore, several investigators have devised methods which allow obtaining sample blocks for electron microscopy from region of tissue previously identified by light microscopy of present here techniques which make possible: 1) sampling tissue for electron microscopy from selected areas previously identified by light microscopy of relatively large pieces of tissue; 2) dehydration and embedding large numbers of individually identified blocks while keeping each one separate; 3) a new method of maintaining specific orientation of blocks during embedding; 4) special light microscopic staining or fluorescent procedures and electron microscopy on immediately adjacent small areas of tissue.

New challenges to image processing posed by cryo-Electron microscopy of single particles

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 422-423
Author(s):  
Joachim Frank
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Particle Orientation ◽  
Single Particles ◽  
Contrast Transfer Function ◽  
Virtual Absence ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Particle Images

Compared with images of negatively stained single particle specimens, those obtained by cryo-electron microscopy have the following new features: (a) higher “signal” variability due to a higher variability of particle orientation; (b) reduced signal/noise ratio (S/N); (c) virtual absence of low-spatial-frequency information related to elastic scattering, due to the properties of the phase contrast transfer function (PCTF); and (d) reduced resolution due to the efforts of the microscopist to boost the PCTF at low spatial frequencies, in his attempt to obtain recognizable particle images.

Enhanced information from biological materials through technological improvements in cryo-electron microscopy

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 788-789
Author(s):  
Marc J.C. de Jong ◽  
Wim M. Busing ◽  
Max T. Otten
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Biological Materials ◽  
Electron Crystallography ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Many ◽  
Technological Improvements ◽  
Beam Damage

Biological materials damage rapidly in the electron beam, limiting the amount of information that can be obtained in the transmission electron microscope. The discovery that observation at cryo temperatures strongly reduces beam damage (in addition to making it unnecessaiy to use chemical fixatives, dehydration agents and stains, which introduce artefacts) has given an important step forward to preserving the ‘live’ situation and makes it possible to study the relation between function, chemical composition and morphology.Among the many cryo-applications, the most challenging is perhaps the determination of the atomic structure. Henderson and co-workers were able to determine the structure of the purple membrane by electron crystallography, providing an understanding of the membrane's working as a proton pump. As far as understood at present, the main stumbling block in achieving high resolution appears to be a random movement of atoms or molecules in the specimen within a fraction of a second after exposure to the electron beam, which destroys the highest-resolution detail sought.

Study of eukaryotic flagellar components by cryo-electron microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 98-101
Author(s):  
John M. Murray ◽  
Rob Ward
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Primary Motion ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cross Links ◽  
Cilia And Flagella

The eukaryotic flagellum is constructed from 11 parallel tubular elements arranged as 9 peripheral fibers (doublet microtubules) and 2 central fibers (singlet microtubules). The primary motion generating component has been found to be arranged as axially periodic “arms” bridging the adjacent doublets. The dynein, comprising the arms, has been isolated and characterized from several different cilia and flagella. Various radial and azimuthal cross-links stabilize the axially aligned microtubules, and probably play some role in controlling the form of the flagella beat cycle.

CRYO-Electron Microscopy of the Acto-Myosin-ATP Complex

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 248-249
Author(s):  
John Trinickt ◽  
Howard White
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Myosin Head ◽  
Bound State ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Weakly Bound ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Myosin Subfragment 1 ◽  
Attached State ◽  
High Fraction

The primary force of muscle contraction is thought to involve a change in the myosin head whilst attached to actin, the energy coming from ATP hydrolysis. This change in attached state could either be a conformational change in the head or an alteration in the binding angle made with actin. A considerable amount is known about one bound state, the so-called strongly attached state, which occurs in the presence of ADP or in the absence of nucleotide. In this state, which probably corresponds to the last attached state of the force-producing cycle, the angle between the long axis myosin head and the actin filament is roughly 45°. Details of other attached states before and during power production have been difficult to obtain because, even at very high protein concentration, the complex is almost completely dissociated by ATP. Electron micrographs of the complex in the presence of ATP have therefore been obtained only after chemically cross-linking myosin subfragment-1 (S1) to actin filaments to prevent dissociation. But it is unclear then whether the variability in attachment angle observed is due merely to the cross-link acting as a hinge.We have recently found low ionic-strength conditions under which, without resorting to cross-linking, a high fraction of S1 is bound to actin during steady state ATP hydrolysis. The structure of this complex is being studied by cryo-electron microscopy of hydrated specimens. Most advantages of frozen specimens over ambient temperature methods such as negative staining have already been documented. These include improved preservation and fixation rates and the ability to observe protein directly rather than a surrounding stain envelope. In the present experiments, hydrated specimens have the additional benefit that it is feasible to use protein concentrations roughly two orders of magnitude higher than in conventional specimens, thereby reducing dissociation of weakly bound complexes.

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