Projection map of tubulin in zinc-induced sheets at 4 A resolution.
Tubulin polymerizes into two-dimensional, crystalline sheets in the presence of zinc ions. These sheets are well suited to structural studies by electron crystallography. We have developed conditions for forming sheets which are large and well ordered enough to provide both electron diffraction and image data to better than 4 A resolution. In projection maps calculated from this data, the alpha and beta monomers can be identified within the protofilaments. These results indicate that we should be able to determine the structure of tubulin in these sheets at atomic resolution.
Downing
K H
KH
Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720.
Jontes
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary / Q000187:drug effects; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000187:drug effects; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D015032:Zinc