Beyond protein structure determination with MicroED

Chi Nguyen; Tamir Gonen

doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2020.05.018

Beyond protein structure determination with MicroED

Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2020 Oct:64:51-58. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.05.018. Epub 2020 Jun 28.

Authors

Chi Nguyen¹, Tamir Gonen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA90095, United States.
² Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA90095, United States; Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA90095, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095, United States. Electronic address: tgonen@g.ucla.edu.

Abstract

Microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) was first coined and developed in 2013 at the Janelia Research Campus as a new modality in electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM). Since then, MicroED has not only made important contributions in pushing the resolution limits of cryoEM protein structure characterization but also of peptides, small-organic and inorganic molecules, and natural-products that have resisted structure determination by other methods. This review showcases important recent developments in MicroED, highlighting the importance of the technique in fields of studies beyond protein structure determination where MicroED is beginning to have paradigm shifting roles.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Cryoelectron Microscopy
Electrons*
Peptides
Proteins*

Substances

Peptides
Proteins

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding