Using cryo-electron tomography to determine protein structures "in situ"

Orateur : John BRIGGS (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, United Kingdom)

We are studying the structure and assembly of enveloped viruses like HIV and Ebola, as well as protein machineries involved in membrane trafficking within the cell. By combining cryo-electron tomography with computational image processing, we can visualize the structures of proteins assembled on heterogeneous membrane systems in vitro with sufficient resolution to determine protein structure ab initio. The same methods can be used to determine the structures of assembled protein complexes directly within cells. Developments in hardware and software are rapidly expanding the capabilities of cryo-electron tomography methods. I will discuss the potential of the technology, and present our most recent data on the structures of HIV-1, Ebola virus and coated membrane vesicles.

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