title: Cryo-electron tomography: gaining insight into cellular processes by structural approaches.
abstract: Visualization of cellular processes at a resolution of the individual protein should involve integrative and complementary approaches that can eventually draw realistic functional and cellular landscapes. Electron tomography of vitrified but otherwise unaltered cells emerges as a central method for three-dimensional reconstruction of cellular architecture at a resolution of 2-6 nm. While a combination of correlative light-based microscopy with cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) provides medium-resolution insight into pivotal cellular processes, fitting high-resolution structural approaches, for example, X-ray crystallography, into reconstructed macromolecular assemblies provides unprecedented information on native protein assemblies. Thus, cryo-ET bridges the resolution gap between cellular and structural biology. In this article, we focus on the study of eukaryotic cells and macromolecular complexes in a close-to-life-state. We discuss recent developments and structural findings enabling major strides to be made in understanding complex physiological functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yahav
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maimon
authors.forename: Einat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: Idit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Medalia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D055032:Electron Microscope Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes