title: Advances in tomography: probing the molecular architecture of cells.
abstract: Visualizing the dynamic molecular architecture of cells is instrumental for answering fundamental questions in cellular and structural biology. Although modern microscopy techniques, including fluorescence and conventional electron microscopy, have allowed us to gain insights into the molecular organization of cells, they are limited in their ability to visualize multicomponent complexes in their native environment. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) allows cells, and the macromolecular assemblies contained within, to be reconstructed in situ, at a resolution of 2-6 nm. By combining cryo-ET with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy approaches, it should be possible to localize proteins with high precision inside cells and so elucidate a more realistic view of cellular processes. Thus, cryo-ET may bridge the resolution gap between cellular and structural biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, 84105 Israel.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fridman
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zwerger
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Medalia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002477:Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055032:Electron Microscope Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances