2007Leschziner Review

Citation

Leschziner AE, Nogales E (2007) Visualizing Xexibility at molecular resolution: analysis of heterogeneity in single-particle electron microscopy reconstructions. Ann Rev Biophys Biomol Struct 36:43–62

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly clear that many macromolecules are intrinsically flexible and exist in multiple conformations in solution. Single-particle reconstruction of vitrified samples (cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM) is uniquely positioned to visualize this conformational flexibility in its native state. Although heterogeneity remains a significant challenge in cryo-EM single-particle analysis, recent efforts in the field point to a future where it will be possible to tap into this rich source of biological information on a routine basis. In this article, we review the basic principles behind a few relatively new and generally applicable methods that show particular promise as tools to analyze macromolecular flexibility. We also discuss some of their recent applications to problems of biological interest.

Keywords

Review, Heterogeneity

Links

Article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17201674