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3D electron microscopy of biological nanomachines: principles and applications

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Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy is a powerful technique for studying the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a wide range of biological specimens. Knowledge of this structure is crucial for fully understanding complex relationships among macromolecular complexes and organelles in living cells. In this paper, we present the principles and main application domains of 3D transmission electron microscopy in structural biology. Moreover, we survey current developments needed in this field, and discuss the close relationship of 3D transmission electron microscopy with other experimental techniques aimed at obtaining structural and dynamical information from the scale of whole living cells to atomic structure of macromolecular complexes.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to European Commission for NoE “3D-EM” contract No. LSHG-CT-2004-502828, Region Ile-de-France for convention SESAME 2000 E 1435, program C’Nano Ile-de-France for supporting 3D cryo-electron microscopy at IMPMC, and to Institut Curie (PIC Physique du Vivant).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioengineering Lab, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Univ. San Pablo CEU, Campus Urb, Montepríncipe s/n, 28668, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain

    C. O. S. Sorzano

  2. IMPMC, Université Pierre & Marie Curie, Campus BOUCICAUT, 140, rue de Lourmel, 75015, Paris, France

    S. Jonic, M. Cottevieille, E. Larquet & N. Boisset

  3. Institut Curie, Section Recherche, Laboratoire d’Imagerie Intégrative, Centre Universitaire d’Orsay, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France

    S. Marco

  4. INSERM U759, Centre Universitaire d’Orsay, Bât 112, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France

    S. Marco

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  1. C. O. S. Sorzano
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  2. S. Jonic
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  3. M. Cottevieille
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  4. E. Larquet
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  5. N. Boisset
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  6. S. Marco
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Correspondence to N. Boisset.

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Presented at the joint biannual meeting of the SFB-GEIMM-GRIP, Anglet France, 14–19 October, 2006.

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Sorzano, C.O.S., Jonic, S., Cottevieille, M. et al. 3D electron microscopy of biological nanomachines: principles and applications. Eur Biophys J 36, 995–1013 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00249-007-0203-x

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