Cryo-Electron Tomography Studies of Cell Systems

AbstractCryo-electron tomography is a powerful tool for determining the three-dimensional structures of macromolecular complexes in their natural environment. The minimization of external impacts on the investigated objects, possibility of conducting in vitro and in cellulo experiments under close-to-native conditions, and high spatial resolution of the obtained three-dimensional reconstructions make cryo-electron tomography one of the most promising methods for studying a large class of objects in the fields of structural biology and visual proteomics. The main aspects of cryo-electron tomography are discussed as applied to studies of cell systems.