1
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Walton T, Doran MH, Brown A. Structural determination and modeling of ciliary microtubules. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:220-231. [PMID: 38451206 PMCID: PMC10994176 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324001815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The axoneme, a microtubule-based array at the center of every cilium, has been the subject of structural investigations for decades, but only recent advances in cryo-EM and cryo-ET have allowed a molecular-level interpretation of the entire complex to be achieved. The unique properties of the nine doublet microtubules and central pair of singlet microtubules that form the axoneme, including the highly decorated tubulin lattice and the docking of massive axonemal complexes, provide opportunities and challenges for sample preparation, 3D reconstruction and atomic modeling. Here, the approaches used for cryo-EM and cryo-ET of axonemes are reviewed, while highlighting the unique opportunities provided by the latest generation of AI-guided tools that are transforming structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Walton
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew H. Doran
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan Brown
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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2
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McCafferty CL, Klumpe S, Amaro RE, Kukulski W, Collinson L, Engel BD. Integrating cellular electron microscopy with multimodal data to explore biology across space and time. Cell 2024; 187:563-584. [PMID: 38306982 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Biology spans a continuum of length and time scales. Individual experimental methods only glimpse discrete pieces of this spectrum but can be combined to construct a more holistic view. In this Review, we detail the latest advancements in volume electron microscopy (vEM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), which together can visualize biological complexity across scales from the organization of cells in large tissues to the molecular details inside native cellular environments. In addition, we discuss emerging methodologies for integrating three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) imaging with multimodal data, including fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, single-particle analysis, and AI-based structure prediction. This multifaceted approach fills gaps in the biological continuum, providing functional context, spatial organization, molecular identity, and native interactions. We conclude with a perspective on incorporating diverse data into computational simulations that further bridge and extend length scales while integrating the dimension of time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Klumpe
- Research Group CryoEM Technology, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Rommie E Amaro
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Wanda Kukulski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - Benjamin D Engel
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Hwang J, Yanagisawa H, Davis KC, Hunter EL, Fox LA, Jimenez AR, Goodwin RE, Gordon SA, Stuart CDE, Bower R, Porter ME, Dutcher SK, Sale WS, Lechtreck KF, Alford LM. Assembly of FAP93 at the proximal axoneme in Chlamydomonas cilia. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38224153 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
To identify proteins specific to the proximal ciliary axoneme, we used iTRAQ to compare short (~2 μm) and full-length (~11 μm) axonemes of Chlamydomonas. Known compoents of the proximal axoneme such as minor dynein heavy chains and LF5 kinase as well as the ciliary tip proteins FAP256 (CEP104) and EB1 were enriched in short axonemes whereas proteins present along the length of the axoneme were of similar abundance in both samples. The iTRAQ analysis revealed that FAP93, a protein of unknown function, and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) are enriched in the short axonemes. Consistently, immunoblots show enrichment of FAP93 and PP2A in short axonemes and immunofluorescence confirms the localization of FAP93 and enrichment of PP2A at the proximal axoneme. Ciliary regeneration reveals that FAP93 assembles continuously but more slowly than other axonemal structures and terminates at 1.03 μm in steady-state axonemes. The length of FAP93 assembly correlates with ciliary length, demonstrating ciliary length-dependent assembly of FAP93. Dikaryon rescue experiments show that FAP93 can assemble independently of IFT transport. In addition, FRAP analysis of GFP-tagged FAP93 demonstrates that FAP93 is stably anchored in axoneme. FAP93 may function as a scaffold for assembly of other specific proteins at the proximal axoneme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyeon Hwang
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Keira C Davis
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- College of Arts & Sciences, Clayton State University, Morrow, Georgia, USA
| | - Emily L Hunter
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Science Communication Group, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Laura A Fox
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ariana R Jimenez
- Division of Natural Sciences, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Reagan E Goodwin
- Division of Natural Sciences, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah A Gordon
- Division of Natural Sciences, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Raqual Bower
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mary E Porter
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Susan K Dutcher
- Department of Genetics, Washington University St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Winfield S Sale
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Karl F Lechtreck
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Lea M Alford
- Division of Natural Sciences, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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4
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Chen Z, Shiozaki M, Haas KM, Skinner WM, Zhao S, Guo C, Polacco BJ, Yu Z, Krogan NJ, Lishko PV, Kaake RM, Vale RD, Agard DA. De novo protein identification in mammalian sperm using in situ cryoelectron tomography and AlphaFold2 docking. Cell 2023; 186:5041-5053.e19. [PMID: 37865089 PMCID: PMC10842264 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
To understand the molecular mechanisms of cellular pathways, contemporary workflows typically require multiple techniques to identify proteins, track their localization, and determine their structures in vitro. Here, we combined cellular cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET) and AlphaFold2 modeling to address these questions and understand how mammalian sperm are built in situ. Our cellular cryo-ET and subtomogram averaging provided 6.0-Å reconstructions of axonemal microtubule structures. The well-resolved tertiary structures allowed us to unbiasedly match sperm-specific densities with 21,615 AlphaFold2-predicted protein models of the mouse proteome. We identified Tektin 5, CCDC105, and SPACA9 as novel microtubule-associated proteins. These proteins form an extensive interaction network crosslinking the lumen of axonemal doublet microtubules, suggesting their roles in modulating the mechanical properties of the filaments. Indeed, Tekt5 -/- sperm possess more deformed flagella with 180° bends. Together, our studies presented a cellular visual proteomics workflow and shed light on the in vivo functions of Tektin 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Momoko Shiozaki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Kelsey M Haas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Will M Skinner
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Shumei Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Caiying Guo
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Polacco
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zhiheng Yu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nevan J Krogan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Polina V Lishko
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robyn M Kaake
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald D Vale
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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5
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Balyschew N, Yushkevich A, Mikirtumov V, Sanchez RM, Sprink T, Kudryashev M. Streamlined structure determination by cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging using TomoBEAR. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6543. [PMID: 37848413 PMCID: PMC10582028 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42085-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Structures of macromolecules in their native state provide unique unambiguous insights into their functions. Cryo-electron tomography combined with subtomogram averaging demonstrated the power to solve such structures in situ at resolutions in the range of 3 Angstrom for some macromolecules. In order to be applicable to the structural determination of the majority of macromolecules observable in cells in limited amounts, processing of tomographic data has to be performed in a high-throughput manner. Here we present TomoBEAR-a modular configurable workflow engine for streamlined processing of cryo-electron tomographic data for subtomogram averaging. TomoBEAR combines commonly used cryo-EM packages with reasonable presets to provide a transparent ("white box") approach for data management and processing. We demonstrate applications of TomoBEAR to two data sets of purified macromolecular targets, to an ion channel RyR1 in a membrane, and the tomograms of plasma FIB-milled lamellae and demonstrate the ability to produce high-resolution structures. TomoBEAR speeds up data processing, minimizes human interventions, and will help accelerate the adoption of in situ structural biology by cryo-ET. The source code and the documentation are freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Balyschew
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt on Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt on Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Artsemi Yushkevich
- In Situ Structural Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Physics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vasilii Mikirtumov
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt on Main, Germany
- In Situ Structural Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricardo M Sanchez
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt on Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt on Main, Frankfurt, Germany
- EMBL Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thiemo Sprink
- Core Facility for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cryo-EM Facility, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt on Main, Germany.
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt on Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
- In Situ Structural Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Shimogawa MM, Wijono AS, Wang H, Zhang J, Sha J, Szombathy N, Vadakkan S, Pelayo P, Jonnalagadda K, Wohlschlegel J, Zhou ZH, Hill KL. FAP106 is an interaction hub for assembling microtubule inner proteins at the cilium inner junction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5225. [PMID: 37633952 PMCID: PMC10460401 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility of pathogenic protozoa depends on flagella (synonymous with cilia) with axonemes containing nine doublet microtubules (DMTs) and two singlet microtubules. Microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) within DMTs influence axoneme stability and motility and provide lineage-specific adaptations, but individual MIP functions and assembly mechanisms are mostly unknown. Here, we show in the sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei, that FAP106, a conserved MIP at the DMT inner junction, is required for trypanosome motility and functions as a critical interaction hub, directing assembly of several conserved and lineage-specific MIPs. We use comparative cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and quantitative proteomics to identify MIP candidates. Using RNAi knockdown together with fitting of AlphaFold models into cryoET maps, we demonstrate that one of these candidates, MC8, is a trypanosome-specific MIP required for parasite motility. Our work advances understanding of MIP assembly mechanisms and identifies lineage-specific motility proteins that are attractive targets to consider for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Shimogawa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Angeline S Wijono
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jiayan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jihui Sha
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Natasha Szombathy
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Sabeeca Vadakkan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Paula Pelayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Keya Jonnalagadda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Kent L Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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7
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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.
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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
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8
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McCafferty CL, Pennington EL, Papoulas O, Taylor DW, Marcotte EM. Does AlphaFold2 model proteins' intracellular conformations? An experimental test using cross-linking mass spectrometry of endogenous ciliary proteins. Commun Biol 2023; 6:421. [PMID: 37061613 PMCID: PMC10105775 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04773-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A major goal in structural biology is to understand protein assemblies in their biologically relevant states. Here, we investigate whether AlphaFold2 structure predictions match native protein conformations. We chemically cross-linked proteins in situ within intact Tetrahymena thermophila cilia and native ciliary extracts, identifying 1,225 intramolecular cross-links within the 100 best-sampled proteins, providing a benchmark of distance restraints obeyed by proteins in their native assemblies. The corresponding structure predictions were highly concordant, positioning 86.2% of cross-linked residues within Cɑ-to-Cɑ distances of 30 Å, consistent with the cross-linker length. 43% of proteins showed no violations. Most inconsistencies occurred in low-confidence regions or between domains. Overall, AlphaFold2 predictions with lower predicted aligned error corresponded to more correct native structures. However, we observe cases where rigid body domains are oriented incorrectly, as for ciliary protein BBC118, suggesting that combining structure prediction with experimental information will better reveal biologically relevant conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn L McCafferty
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Erin L Pennington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ophelia Papoulas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - David W Taylor
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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9
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Berger C, Premaraj N, Ravelli RBG, Knoops K, López-Iglesias C, Peters PJ. Cryo-electron tomography on focused ion beam lamellae transforms structural cell biology. Nat Methods 2023; 20:499-511. [PMID: 36914814 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01783-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Cryogenic electron microscopy and data processing enable the determination of structures of isolated macromolecules to near-atomic resolution. However, these data do not provide structural information in the cellular environment where macromolecules perform their native functions, and vital molecular interactions can be lost during the isolation process. Cryogenic focused ion beam (FIB) fabrication generates thin lamellae of cellular samples and tissues, enabling structural studies on the near-native cellular interior and its surroundings by cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET). Cellular cryo-ET benefits from the technological developments in electron microscopes, detectors and data processing, and more in situ structures are being obtained and at increasingly higher resolution. In this Review, we discuss recent studies employing cryo-ET on FIB-generated lamellae and the technological developments in ultrarapid sample freezing, FIB fabrication of lamellae, tomography, data processing and correlative light and electron microscopy that have enabled these studies. Finally, we explore the future of cryo-ET in terms of both methods development and biological application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper Berger
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Navya Premaraj
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Raimond B G Ravelli
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Kèvin Knoops
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Carmen López-Iglesias
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter J Peters
- Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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10
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Cheng J, Liu T, You X, Zhang F, Sui SF, Wan X, Zhang X. Determining protein structures in cellular lamella at pseudo-atomic resolution by GisSPA. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1282. [PMID: 36922493 PMCID: PMC10017804 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36175-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron tomography is a major tool used to study the structure of protein complexes in situ. However, the throughput of tilt-series image data collection is still quite low. Here, we show that GisSPA, a GPU accelerated program, can translationally and rotationally localize the target protein complex in cellular lamellae, as prepared with a focused ion beam, using single cryo-electron microscopy images without tilt-series, and reconstruct the protein complex at near-atomic resolution. GisSPA allows high-throughput data collection without the acquisition of tilt-series images and reconstruction of the tomogram, which is essential for high-resolution reconstruction of asymmetric or low-symmetry protein complexes. We demonstrate the power of GisSPA with 3.4-Å and 3.9-Å resolutions of resolving phycobilisome and tetrameric photosystem II complex structures in cellular lamellae, respectively. In this work, we present GisSPA as a practical tool that facilitates high-resolution in situ protein structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cheng
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Tong Liu
- High Performance Computer Research Center, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xin You
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fa Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Sen-Fang Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaohua Wan
- Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Xinzheng Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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11
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Chen Z, Greenan GA, Shiozaki M, Liu Y, Skinner WM, Zhao X, Zhao S, Yan R, Yu Z, Lishko PV, Agard DA, Vale RD. In situ cryo-electron tomography reveals the asymmetric architecture of mammalian sperm axonemes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:360-369. [PMID: 36593309 PMCID: PMC10023559 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00861-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The flagella of mammalian sperm display non-planar, asymmetric beating, in contrast to the planar, symmetric beating of flagella from sea urchin sperm and unicellular organisms. The molecular basis of this difference is unclear. Here, we perform in situ cryo-electron tomography of mouse and human sperm, providing the highest-resolution structural information to date. Our subtomogram averages reveal mammalian sperm-specific protein complexes within the microtubules, the radial spokes and nexin-dynein regulatory complexes. The locations and structures of these complexes suggest potential roles in enhancing the mechanical strength of mammalian sperm axonemes and regulating dynein-based axonemal bending. Intriguingly, we find that each of the nine outer microtubule doublets is decorated with a distinct combination of sperm-specific complexes. We propose that this asymmetric distribution of proteins differentially regulates the sliding of each microtubule doublet and may underlie the asymmetric beating of mammalian sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Garrett A Greenan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Momoko Shiozaki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Yanxin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Will M Skinner
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Shumei Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Rui Yan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Zhiheng Yu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Polina V Lishko
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Ronald D Vale
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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12
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Towards an atomic model of a beating ciliary axoneme. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 78:102516. [PMID: 36586349 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The axoneme of motile cilia and eukaryotic flagella is an ordered assembly of hundreds of proteins that powers the locomotion of single cells and generates flow of liquid and particles across certain mammalian tissues. The symmetric and organized structure of the axoneme has invited structural biologists to unravel its intricate architecture at different scales. In the last few years, single-particle cryo-electron microscopy provided high-resolution structures of axonemal complexes that comprise dozens of proteins and are key to cilia function. This review summarizes unique structural features of the axoneme and the framework they provide to understand cilia assembly, the mechanism of ciliary beating, and clinical conditions associated with impaired cilia motility.
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13
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Chai P, Rao Q, Zhang K. Multi-curve fitting and tubulin-lattice signal removal for structure determination of large microtubule-based motors. J Struct Biol 2022; 214:107897. [PMID: 36089228 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2022.107897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Revealing high-resolution structures of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) is critical for understanding their fundamental roles in various cellular activities, such as cell motility and intracellular cargo transport. Nevertheless, large flexible molecular motors that dynamically bind and release microtubule networks are challenging for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Traditional structure determination of MAPs bound to microtubules needs alignment information from the reconstruction of microtubules, which cannot be readily applied to large MAPs without a fixed binding pattern. Here, we developed a comprehensive approach to estimate the microtubule networks (multi-curve fitting), model the tubulin-lattice signals, and remove them (tubulin-lattice subtraction) from the raw cryo-EM micrographs. The approach does not require an ordered binding pattern of MAPs on microtubules, nor does it need a reconstruction of the microtubules. We demonstrated the capability of our approach using the reconstituted outer-arm dynein (OAD) bound to microtubule doublets. The tubulin-lattice subtraction improves the OAD alignment, thus leading to high-resolution reconstructions. In addition, the multi-curve fitting approach provides an accurate automatic alternative method to pick or segment filaments in 2D images and potentially in 3D tomograms. The accuracy of our approach has been demonstrated by using several other biological filaments. Our work provides a new tool to determine high-resolution structures of large MAPs bound to curved microtubule networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxin Chai
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Qinhui Rao
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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14
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Pinskey JM, Lagisetty A, Gui L, Phan N, Reetz E, Tavakoli A, Fu G, Nicastro D. Three-dimensional flagella structures from animals' closest unicellular relatives, the Choanoflagellates. eLife 2022; 11:e78133. [PMID: 36384644 PMCID: PMC9671500 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most eukaryotic organisms, cilia and flagella perform a variety of life-sustaining roles related to environmental sensing and motility. Cryo-electron microscopy has provided considerable insight into the morphology and function of flagellar structures, but studies have been limited to less than a dozen of the millions of known eukaryotic species. Ultrastructural information is particularly lacking for unicellular organisms in the Opisthokonta clade, leaving a sizeable gap in our understanding of flagella evolution between unicellular species and multicellular metazoans (animals). Choanoflagellates are important aquatic heterotrophs, uniquely positioned within the opisthokonts as the metazoans' closest living unicellular relatives. We performed cryo-focused ion beam milling and cryo-electron tomography on flagella from the choanoflagellate species Salpingoeca rosetta. We show that the axonemal dyneins, radial spokes, and central pair complex in S. rosetta more closely resemble metazoan structures than those of unicellular organisms from other suprakingdoms. In addition, we describe unique features of S. rosetta flagella, including microtubule holes, microtubule inner proteins, and the flagellar vane: a fine, net-like extension that has been notoriously difficult to visualize using other methods. Furthermore, we report barb-like structures of unknown function on the extracellular surface of the flagellar membrane. Together, our findings provide new insights into choanoflagellate biology and flagella evolution between unicellular and multicellular opisthokonts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine M Pinskey
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Adhya Lagisetty
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Long Gui
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Nhan Phan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Evan Reetz
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Amirrasoul Tavakoli
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Gang Fu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Daniela Nicastro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
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15
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Woodhams LG, Shen Y, Bayly PV. Generation of ciliary beating by steady dynein activity: the effects of inter-filament coupling in multi-filament models. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220264. [PMID: 35857924 PMCID: PMC9257587 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure of the axoneme in motile cilia and flagella is emerging with increasing detail from high-resolution imaging, but the mechanism by which the axoneme creates oscillatory, propulsive motion remains mysterious. It has recently been proposed that this motion may be caused by a dynamic 'flutter' instability that can occur under steady dynein loading, and not by switching or modulation of dynein motor activity (as commonly assumed). In the current work, we have built an improved multi-filament mathematical model of the axoneme and implemented it as a system of discrete equations using the finite-element method. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of this model predict the emergence of oscillatory, wave-like solutions in the absence of dynein regulation and specify the associated frequencies and waveforms of beating. Time-domain simulations with this model illustrate the behaviour predicted by the system's eigenvalues. This model and analysis allow us to efficiently explore the potential effects of difficult to measure biophysical parameters, such as elasticity of radial spokes and inter-doublet links, on the ciliary waveform. These results support the idea that dynamic instability without dynamic dynein regulation is a plausible and robust mechanism for generating ciliary beating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis G. Woodhams
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
| | - Yenan Shen
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Philip V. Bayly
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
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16
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Waffle Method: A general and flexible approach for improving throughput in FIB-milling. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1857. [PMID: 35387991 PMCID: PMC8987090 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29501-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-FIB/SEM combined with cryo-ET has emerged from within the field of cryo-EM as the method for obtaining the highest resolution structural information of complex biological samples in-situ in native and non-native environments. However, challenges remain in conventional cryo-FIB/SEM workflows, including milling thick specimens with vitrification issues, specimens with preferred orientation, low-throughput when milling small and/or low concentration specimens, and specimens that distribute poorly across grid squares. Here we present a general approach called the ‘Waffle Method’ which leverages high-pressure freezing to address these challenges. We illustrate the mitigation of these challenges by applying the Waffle Method and cryo-ET to reveal the macrostructure of the polar tube in microsporidian spores in multiple complementary orientations, which was previously not possible due to preferred orientation. We demonstrate the broadness of the Waffle Method by applying it to three additional cellular samples and a single particle sample using a variety of cryo-FIB-milling hardware, with manual and automated approaches. We also present a unique and critical stress-relief gap designed specifically for waffled lamellae. We propose the Waffle Method as a way to achieve many advantages of cryo-liftout on the specimen grid while avoiding the long, challenging, and technically-demanding process required for cryo-liftout. Here the authors describe the Waffle Method, aimed at increasing the throughput of and solves several challenges present in cryo-FIB/SEM sample preparation for cryo-ET analysis — the highest-resolution method for obtaining 3D views of native biological specimens in-situ.
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17
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Calcraft T, Rosenthal PB. Cryogenic electron microscopy approaches that combine images and tilt series. Microscopy (Oxf) 2022; 71:i15-i22. [PMID: 35275182 PMCID: PMC8855521 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryogenic electron microscopy can be widely applied to biological specimens from the molecular to the cellular scale. In single-particle analysis, 3D structures may be obtained in high resolution by averaging 2D images of single particles in random orientations. For pleomorphic specimens, structures may be obtained by recording the tilt series of a single example of the specimen and calculating tomograms. Where many copies of a single structure such as a protein or nucleic acid assembly are present within the tomogram, averaging of the sub-volumes (subtomogram averaging) has been successfully applied. The choice of data collection method for any given specimen may depend on the structural question of interest and is determined by the radiation sensitivity of the specimen. Here, we survey some recent developments on the use of hybrid methods for recording and analysing data from radiation-sensitive biological specimens. These include single-particle reconstruction from 2D images where additional views are recorded at a single tilt angle of the specimen and methods where image tilt series, initially used for tomogram reconstruction, are processed as individual single-particle images. There is a continuum of approaches now available to maximize structural information obtained from the specimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Calcraft
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
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18
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Weiner E, Pinskey JM, Nicastro D, Otegui MS. Electron microscopy for imaging organelles in plants and algae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:713-725. [PMID: 35235662 PMCID: PMC8825266 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in both instrumentation and image analysis algorithms have allowed three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) to increase automated image collections through large tissue volumes using serial block-face scanning EM (SEM) and to achieve near-atomic resolution of macromolecular complexes using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and sub-tomogram averaging. In this review, we discuss applications of cryo-ET to cell biology research on plant and algal systems and the special opportunities they offer for understanding the organization of eukaryotic organelles with unprecedently resolution. However, one of the most challenging aspects for cryo-ET is sample preparation, especially for multicellular organisms. We also discuss correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) approaches that have been developed for ET at both room and cryogenic temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Weiner
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, Wisconsin
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, Wisconsin
| | - Justine M Pinskey
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390, Texas
| | - Daniela Nicastro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390, Texas
| | - Marisa S Otegui
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, Wisconsin
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, Wisconsin
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19
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In silico reconstitution of DNA replication. Lessons from single-molecule imaging and cryo-tomography applied to single-particle cryo-EM. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 72:279-286. [PMID: 35026552 PMCID: PMC8869182 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
DNA replication has been reconstituted in vitro with yeast proteins, and the minimal system requires the coordinated assembly of 16 distinct replication factors, consisting of 42 polypeptides. To understand the molecular interplay between these factors at the single residue level, new structural biology tools are being developed. Inspired by advances in single-molecule fluorescence imaging and cryo-tomography, novel single-particle cryo-EM experiments have been used to characterise the structural mechanism for the loading of the replicative helicase. Here, we discuss how in silico reconstitution of single-particle cryo-EM data can help describe dynamic systems that are difficult to approach with conventional three-dimensional classification tools.
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20
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Li S, Fernandez JJ, Fabritius AS, Agard DA, Winey M. Electron cryo-tomography structure of axonemal doublet microtubule from Tetrahymena thermophila. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/3/e202101225. [PMID: 34969817 PMCID: PMC8742875 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublet microtubules (DMTs) provide a scaffold for axoneme assembly in motile cilia. Aside from α/β tubulins, the DMT comprises a large number of non-tubulin proteins in the luminal wall of DMTs, collectively named the microtubule inner proteins (MIPs). We used cryoET to study axoneme DMT isolated from Tetrahymena We present the structures of DMT at nanometer and sub-nanometer resolution. The structures confirm that MIP RIB72A/B binds to the luminal wall of DMT by multiple DM10 domains. We found FAP115, an MIP-containing multiple EF-hand domains, located at the interface of four-tubulin dimers in the lumen of A-tubule. It contacts both lateral and longitudinal tubulin interfaces and playing a critical role in DMT stability. We observed substantial structure heterogeneity in DMT in an FAP115 knockout strain, showing extensive structural defects beyond the FAP115-binding site. The defects propagate along the axoneme. Finally, by comparing DMT structures from Tetrahymena and Chlamydomonas, we have identified a number of conserved MIPs as well as MIPs that are unique to each organism. This conservation and diversity of the DMT structures might be linked to their specific functions. Our work provides structural insights essential for understanding the roles of MIPs during motile cilium assembly and function, as well as their relationships to human ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jose-Jesus Fernandez
- Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC), Health Research Institute of Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Amy S Fabritius
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark Winey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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21
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Perspective: Emerging strategies for determining atomic-resolution structures of macromolecular complexes within cells. J Struct Biol 2021; 214:107827. [PMID: 34915129 PMCID: PMC8978977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In principle, electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) of thin portions of cells provides high-resolution images of the three-dimensional spatial arrangement of all members of the proteome. In practice, however, radiation damage creates a tension between recording images at many different tilt angles, but at correspondingly reduced exposure levels, versus limiting the number of tilt angles in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Either way, it is challenging to read the available information out at the level of atomic structure. Here, we first review work that explores the optimal strategy for data collection, which currently seems to favor the use of a limited angular range for tilting the sample or even the use of a single image to record the high-resolution information. Looking then to the future, we point to the alternative of so-called “deconvolution microscopy”, which may be applied to tilt-series or optically-sectioned, focal series data. Recording data as a focal series has the advantage that little or no translational alignment of frames might be needed, and a three-dimensional reconstruction might require only 2/3 the number of images as does standard tomography. We also point to the unexploited potential of phase plates to increase the contrast, and thus to reduce the electron exposure levels while retaining the ability align and merge the data. In turn, using much lower exposures per image could have the advantage that high-resolution information is retained throughout the full data-set, whether recorded as a tilt series or a focal series of images.
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22
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Determining structures in a native environment using single-particle cryoelectron microscopy images. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 2:100166. [PMID: 34632438 PMCID: PMC8488058 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron tomography is a powerful tool for structure determination in the native environment. However, this method requires the acquisition of tilt series, which is time-consuming and severely slows structure determination. By treating the densities of non-target protein as non-Gaussian noise, we developed a new target function that greatly improves the efficiency of recognizing the target protein in a single cryo-electron microscopy image. Moreover, we developed a sorting function that effectively eliminates the model dependence and improved the resolution during the subsequent structure refinement procedure. By eliminating model bias, our method allows using homolog proteins as models to recognize the target proteins in a complex context. Together, we developed an in situ single-particle analysis method. Our method was successfully applied to solve structures of glycoproteins on the surface of a non-icosahedral virus and Rubisco inside the carboxysome. Both data were collected within 24 h, thus allowing fast and simple structural determination. Structures could be achieved when proteins are overlapped with surroundings free of tilt series The particle detection efficiency is significantly improved Allowing the usage of homolog proteins as templates The throughput of structure determination is remarkably enhanced
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23
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Fabritius AS, Bayless BA, Li S, Stoddard D, Heydeck W, Ebmeier CC, Anderson L, Gunnels T, Nachiappan C, Whittall JB, Old W, Agard DA, Nicastro D, Winey M. Proteomic analysis of microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) in Rib72 null Tetrahymena cells reveals functional MIPs. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:br8. [PMID: 34406789 PMCID: PMC8693976 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-12-0786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The core structure of motile cilia and flagella, the axoneme, is built from a stable population of doublet microtubules. This unique stability is brought about, at least in part, by a network of microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) that are bound to the luminal side of the microtubule walls. Rib72A and Rib72B were identified as MIPs in the motile cilia of the protist Tetrahymena thermophila. Loss of these proteins leads to ciliary defects and loss of additional MIPs. We performed mass spectrometry coupled with proteomic analysis and bioinformatics to identify the MIPs lost in RIB72A/B knockout Tetrahymena axonemes. We identified a number of candidate MIPs and pursued one, Fap115, for functional characterization. We find that loss of Fap115 results in disrupted cell swimming and aberrant ciliary beating. Cryo-electron tomography reveals that Fap115 localizes to MIP6a in the A-tubule of the doublet microtubules. Overall, our results highlight the complex relationship between MIPs, ciliary structure, and ciliary function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Fabritius
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Brian A Bayless
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616.,Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053
| | - Sam Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Daniel Stoddard
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Westley Heydeck
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Christopher C Ebmeier
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Lauren Anderson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Tess Gunnels
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053
| | | | - Justen B Whittall
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053
| | - William Old
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Daniela Nicastro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Mark Winey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
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24
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TomoAlign: A novel approach to correcting sample motion and 3D CTF in CryoET. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107778. [PMID: 34416376 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
TomoAlign is a software package that integrates tools to mitigate two important resolution limiting factors in cryoET, namely the beam-induced sample motion and the contrast transfer function (CTF) of the microscope. The package is especially focused on cryoET of thick specimens where fiducial markers are required for accurate tilt-series alignment and sample motion estimation. TomoAlign models the beam-induced sample motion undergone during the tilt-series acquisition. The motion models are used to produce motion-corrected subtilt-series centered on the particles of interest. In addition, the defocus of each particle at each tilt image is determined and can be corrected, resulting in motion-corrected and CTF-corrected subtilt-series from which the subtomograms can be computed. Alternatively, the CTF information can be passed on so that CTF correction can be carried out entirely within external packages like Relion. TomoAlign serves as a versatile tool that can streamline the cryoET workflow from initial alignment of tilt-series to final subtomogram averaging during in situ structure determination.
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25
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Bazan R, Schröfel A, Joachimiak E, Poprzeczko M, Pigino G, Wloga D. Ccdc113/Ccdc96 complex, a novel regulator of ciliary beating that connects radial spoke 3 to dynein g and the nexin link. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009388. [PMID: 33661892 PMCID: PMC7987202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliary beating requires the coordinated activity of numerous axonemal complexes. The protein composition and role of radial spokes (RS), nexin links (N-DRC) and dyneins (ODAs and IDAs) is well established. However, how information is transmitted from the central apparatus to the RS and across other ciliary structures remains unclear. Here, we identify a complex comprising the evolutionarily conserved proteins Ccdc96 and Ccdc113, positioned parallel to N-DRC and forming a connection between RS3, dynein g, and N-DRC. Although Ccdc96 and Ccdc113 can be transported to cilia independently, their stable docking and function requires the presence of both proteins. Deletion of either CCDC113 or CCDC96 alters cilia beating frequency, amplitude and waveform. We propose that the Ccdc113/Ccdc96 complex transmits signals from RS3 and N-DRC to dynein g and thus regulates its activity and the ciliary beat pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Bazan
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Adam Schröfel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Martyna Poprzeczko
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gaia Pigino
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail: (GP); (DW)
| | - Dorota Wloga
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- * E-mail: (GP); (DW)
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26
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Martins B, Sorrentino S, Chung WL, Tatli M, Medalia O, Eibauer M. Unveiling the polarity of actin filaments by cryo-electron tomography. Structure 2021; 29:488-498.e4. [PMID: 33476550 PMCID: PMC8111420 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton plays a fundamental role in numerous cellular processes, such as cell motility, cytokinesis, and adhesion to the extracellular matrix. Revealing the polarity of individual actin filaments in intact cells would foster an unprecedented understanding of cytoskeletal processes and their associated mechanical forces. Cryo-electron tomography provides the means for high-resolution structural imaging of cells. However, the low signal-to-noise ratio of cryo-tomograms obscures the high frequencies, and therefore the polarity of actin filaments cannot be directly measured. Here, we developed a method that enables us to determine the polarity of actin filaments in cellular cryo-tomograms. We applied it to reveal the actin polarity distribution in focal adhesions, and show a linear relation between actin polarity and distance from the apical boundary of the adhesion site. Determining the polarity of individual actin filaments inside cells Reconstruction of actin networks from cryo-tomograms The polarity of actin changes from mixed to uniform along focal adhesions
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Martins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simona Sorrentino
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wen-Lu Chung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Meltem Tatli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Matthias Eibauer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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27
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Umrekar TR, Cohen E, Drobnič T, Gonzalez-Rodriguez N, Beeby M. CryoEM of bacterial secretion systems: A primer for microbiologists. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:366-382. [PMID: 33140482 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
"CryoEM" has come of age, enabling considerable structural insights into many facets of molecular biology. Here, we present a primer for microbiologists to understand the capabilities and limitations of two complementary cryoEM techniques for studying bacterial secretion systems. The first, single particle analysis, determines the structures of purified protein complexes to resolutions sufficient for molecular modeling, while the second, electron cryotomography and subtomogram averaging, tends to determine more modest resolution structures of protein complexes in intact cells. We illustrate these abilities with examples of insights provided into how secretion systems work by cryoEM, with a focus on type III secretion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eli Cohen
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tina Drobnič
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Morgan Beeby
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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28
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Webb S, Mukhopadhyay AG, Roberts AJ. Intraflagellar transport trains and motors: Insights from structure. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 107:82-90. [PMID: 32684327 PMCID: PMC7561706 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) sculpts the proteome of cilia and flagella; the antenna-like organelles found on the surface of virtually all human cell types. By delivering proteins to the growing ciliary tip, recycling turnover products, and selectively transporting signalling molecules, IFT has critical roles in cilia biogenesis, quality control, and signal transduction. IFT involves long polymeric arrays, termed IFT trains, which move to and from the ciliary tip under the power of the microtubule-based motor proteins kinesin-II and dynein-2. Recent top-down and bottom-up structural biology approaches are converging on the molecular architecture of the IFT train machinery. Here we review these studies, with a focus on how kinesin-II and dynein-2 assemble, attach to IFT trains, and undergo precise regulation to mediate bidirectional transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Webb
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aakash G Mukhopadhyay
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony J Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, United Kingdom.
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29
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The molecular structure of mammalian primary cilia revealed by cryo-electron tomography. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:1115-1124. [PMID: 32989303 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0507-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Primary cilia are microtubule-based organelles that are important for signaling and sensing in eukaryotic cells. Unlike the thoroughly studied motile cilia, the three-dimensional architecture and molecular composition of primary cilia are largely unexplored. Yet, studying these aspects is necessary to understand how primary cilia function in health and disease. We developed an enabling method for investigating the structure of primary cilia isolated from MDCK-II cells at molecular resolution by cryo-electron tomography. We show that the textbook '9 + 0' arrangement of microtubule doublets is only present at the primary cilium base. A few microns out, the architecture changes into an unstructured bundle of EB1-decorated microtubules and actin filaments, putting an end to a long debate on the presence or absence of actin filaments in primary cilia. Our work provides a plethora of insights into the molecular structure of primary cilia and offers a methodological framework to study these important organelles.
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30
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Petriman NA, Lorentzen E. Structural insights into the architecture and assembly of eukaryotic flagella. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2020; 7:289-299. [PMID: 33150161 PMCID: PMC7590530 DOI: 10.15698/mic2020.11.734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cilia and flagella are slender projections found on most eukaryotic cells including unicellular organisms such as Chlamydomonas, Trypanosoma and Tetrahymena, where they serve motility and signaling functions. The cilium is a large molecular machine consisting of hundreds of different proteins that are trafficked into the organelle to organize a repetitive microtubule-based axoneme. Several recent studies took advantage of improved cryo-EM methodology to unravel the high-resolution structures of ciliary complexes. These include the recently reported purification and structure determination of axonemal doublet microtubules from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which allows for the modeling of more than 30 associated protein factors to provide deep molecular insight into the architecture and repetitive nature of doublet microtubules. In addition, we will review several recent contributions that dissect the structure and function of ciliary trafficking complexes that ferry structural and signaling components between the cell body and the cilium organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narcis-Adrian Petriman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10c, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Esben Lorentzen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10c, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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31
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Nazarov S, Bezler A, Hatzopoulos GN, Nemčíková Villímová V, Demurtas D, Le Guennec M, Guichard P, Gönczy P. Novel features of centriole polarity and cartwheel stacking revealed by cryo-tomography. EMBO J 2020; 39:e106249. [PMID: 32954505 PMCID: PMC7667878 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106249] [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] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Centrioles are polarized microtubule‐based organelles that seed the formation of cilia, and which assemble from a cartwheel containing stacked ring oligomers of SAS‐6 proteins. A cryo‐tomography map of centrioles from the termite flagellate Trichonympha spp. was obtained previously, but higher resolution analysis is likely to reveal novel features. Using sub‐tomogram averaging (STA) in T. spp. and Trichonympha agilis, we delineate the architecture of centriolar microtubules, pinhead, and A‐C linker. Moreover, we report ~25 Å resolution maps of the central cartwheel, revealing notably polarized cartwheel inner densities (CID). Furthermore, STA of centrioles from the distant flagellate Teranympha mirabilis uncovers similar cartwheel architecture and a distinct filamentous CID. Fitting the CrSAS‐6 crystal structure into the flagellate maps and analyzing cartwheels generated in vitro indicate that SAS‐6 rings can directly stack onto one another in two alternating configurations: with a slight rotational offset and in register. Overall, improved STA maps in three flagellates enabled us to unravel novel architectural features, including of centriole polarity and cartwheel stacking, thus setting the stage for an accelerated elucidation of underlying assembly mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Nazarov
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy (CIME), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Bezler
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Georgios N Hatzopoulos
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Veronika Nemčíková Villímová
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Davide Demurtas
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy (CIME), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maeva Le Guennec
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, Sciences III, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Guichard
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, Sciences III, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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32
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The In Situ Structure of Parkinson's Disease-Linked LRRK2. Cell 2020; 182:1508-1518.e16. [PMID: 32783917 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most frequent cause of familial Parkinson's disease. LRRK2 is a multi-domain protein containing a kinase and GTPase. Using correlative light and electron microscopy, in situ cryo-electron tomography, and subtomogram analysis, we reveal a 14-Å structure of LRRK2 bearing a pathogenic mutation that oligomerizes as a right-handed double helix around microtubules, which are left-handed. Using integrative modeling, we determine the architecture of LRRK2, showing that the GTPase and kinase are in close proximity, with the GTPase closer to the microtubule surface, whereas the kinase is exposed to the cytoplasm. We identify two oligomerization interfaces mediated by non-catalytic domains. Mutation of one of these abolishes LRRK2 microtubule-association. Our work demonstrates the power of cryo-electron tomography to generate models of previously unsolved structures in their cellular environment.
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33
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Sanchez RM, Zhang Y, Chen W, Dietrich L, Kudryashev M. Subnanometer-resolution structure determination in situ by hybrid subtomogram averaging - single particle cryo-EM. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3709. [PMID: 32709843 PMCID: PMC7381653 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron tomography combined with subtomogram averaging (StA) has yielded high-resolution structures of macromolecules in their native context. However, high-resolution StA is not commonplace due to beam-induced sample drift, images with poor signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), challenges in CTF correction, and limited particle number. Here we address these issues by collecting tilt series with a higher electron dose at the zero-degree tilt. Particles of interest are then located within reconstructed tomograms, processed by conventional StA, and then re-extracted from the high-dose images in 2D. Single particle analysis tools are then applied to refine the 2D particle alignment and generate a reconstruction. Use of our hybrid StA (hStA) workflow improved the resolution for tobacco mosaic virus from 7.2 to 4.4 Å and for the ion channel RyR1 in crowded native membranes from 12.9 to 9.1 Å. These resolution gains make hStA a promising approach for other StA projects aimed at achieving subnanometer resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo M Sanchez
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 3, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 15, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 3, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 15, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wenbo Chen
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 3, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 15, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lea Dietrich
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 3, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 3, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue Strasse, 15, 60348, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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34
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Ganeva I, Kukulski W. Membrane Architecture in the Spotlight of Correlative Microscopy. Trends Cell Biol 2020; 30:577-587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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35
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Böhning J, Bharat TAM. Towards high-throughput in situ structural biology using electron cryotomography. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 160:97-103. [PMID: 32579969 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Electron cryotomography is a rapidly evolving method for imaging macromolecules directly within the native environment of cells and tissues. Combined with sub-tomogram averaging, it allows structural and cell biologists to obtain sub-nanometre resolution structures in situ. However, low throughput in cryo-ET sample preparation and data acquisition, as well as difficulties in target localisation and sub-tomogram averaging image processing, limit its widespread usability. In this review, we discuss new advances in the field that address these throughput and technical problems. We focus on recent efforts made to resolve issues in sample thinning, improvement in data collection speed at the microscope, strategies for localisation of macromolecules using correlated light and electron microscopy and advancements made to improve resolution in sub-tomogram averaging. These advances will considerably decrease the amount of time and effort required for cryo-ET and sub-tomogram averaging, ushering in a new era of structural biology where in situ macromolecular structure determination will be routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Böhning
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom; Central Oxford Structural Microscopy and Imaging Centre, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Tanmay A M Bharat
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom; Central Oxford Structural Microscopy and Imaging Centre, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom.
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36
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Scaffold subunits support associated subunit assembly in the Chlamydomonas ciliary nexin-dynein regulatory complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:23152-23162. [PMID: 31659045 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910960116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The nexin-dynein regulatory complex (N-DRC) in motile cilia and flagella functions as a linker between neighboring doublet microtubules, acts to stabilize the axonemal core structure, and serves as a central hub for the regulation of ciliary motility. Although the N-DRC has been studied extensively using genetic, biochemical, and structural approaches, the precise arrangement of the 11 (or more) N-DRC subunits remains unknown. Here, using cryo-electron tomography, we have compared the structure of Chlamydomonas wild-type flagella to that of strains with specific DRC subunit deletions or rescued strains with tagged DRC subunits. Our results show that DRC7 is a central linker subunit that helps connect the N-DRC to the outer dynein arms. DRC11 is required for the assembly of DRC8, and DRC8/11 form a subcomplex in the proximal lobe of the linker domain that is required to form stable contacts to the neighboring B-tubule. Gold labeling of tagged subunits determines the precise locations of the previously ambiguous N terminus of DRC4 and C terminus of DRC5. DRC4 is now shown to contribute to the core scaffold of the N-DRC. Our results reveal the overall architecture of N-DRC, with the 3 subunits DRC1/2/4 forming a core complex that serves as the scaffold for the assembly of the "functional subunits," namely DRC3/5-8/11. These findings shed light on N-DRC assembly and its role in regulating flagellar beating.
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