@article {45904, title = {Proton-coupled sugar transport in the prototypical major facilitator superfamily protein XylE.}, journal = {Nature Communication}, volume = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 - Aug}, pages = {4521}, abstract = {

The major facilitator superfamily (MFS) is the largest collection of structurally related membrane proteins that transport a wide array of substrates. The proton-coupled sugar transporter XylE is the first member of the MFS that has been structurally characterized in multiple transporting conformations, including both the outward and inward-facing states. Here we report the crystal structure of XylE in a new inward-facing open conformation, allowing us to visualize the rocker-switch movement of the N-domain against the C-domain during the transport cycle. Using molecular dynamics simulation, and functional transport assays, we describe the movement of XylE that facilitates sugar translocation across a lipid membrane and identify the likely candidate proton-coupling residues as the conserved Asp27 and Arg133. This study addresses the structural basis for proton-coupled substrate transport and release mechanism for the sugar porter family of proteins.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms5521}, author = {Wisedchaisri, Goragot and Park, Min-Sun and Iadanza, Matthew G and Zheng, Hongjin and Gonen, Tamir} } @article {45179, title = {A suite of software for processing MicroED data of extremely small protein crystals.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Crystallography}, volume = {47}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jun 1}, pages = {1140-45}, abstract = {

Electron diffraction of extremely small three-dimensional crystals (MicroED) allows for structure determination from crystals orders of magnitude smaller than those used for X-ray crystallography. MicroED patterns, which are collected in a transmission electron microscope, were initially not amenable to indexing and intensity extraction by standard software, which necessitated the development of a suite of programs for data processing. The MicroED suite was developed to accomplish the tasks of unit-cell determination, indexing, background subtraction, intensity measurement and merging, resulting in data that can be carried forward to molecular replacement and structure determination. This ad hoc solution has been modified for more general use to provide a means for processing MicroED data until the technique can be fully implemented into existing crystallographic software packages. The suite is written in Python and the source code is available under a GNU General Public License.

}, issn = {0021-8898}, doi = {10.1107/S1600576714008073}, author = {Iadanza, Matthew G and Gonen, Tamir} } @article {5959, title = {Overview of electron crystallography of membrane proteins: crystallization and screening strategies using negative stain electron microscopy.}, journal = {Current Protocols in Protein Science }, volume = {Chapter 17}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Apr 2}, pages = {Unit 17.15}, abstract = {

Electron cryomicroscopy, or cryoEM, is an emerging technique for studying the three-dimensional structures of proteins and large macromolecular machines. Electron crystallography is a branch of cryoEM in which structures of proteins can be studied at resolutions that rival those achieved by X-ray crystallography. Electron crystallography employs two-dimensional crystals of a membrane protein embedded within a lipid bilayer. The key to a successful electron crystallographic experiment is the crystallization, or reconstitution, of the protein of interest. This unit describes ways in which protein can be expressed, purified, and reconstituted into well-ordered two-dimensional crystals. A protocol is also provided for negative stain electron microscopy as a tool for screening crystallization trials. When large and well-ordered crystals are obtained, the structures of both protein and its surrounding membrane can be determined to atomic resolution.

}, issn = {1934-3663}, doi = {10.1002/0471140864.ps1715s72}, author = {Nannenga, Brent L and Iadanza, Matthew G and Vollmar, Breanna S and Gonen, Tamir} } @article {6633, title = {Three-dimensional electron crystallography of protein microcrystals.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Nov 19}, pages = {01345}, abstract = {

We demonstrate that it is feasible to determine high-resolution protein structures by electron crystallography of three-dimensional crystals in an electron cryo-microscope (CryoEM). Lysozyme microcrystals were frozen on an electron microscopy grid, and electron diffraction data collected to 1.7 {\r A} resolution. We developed a data collection protocol to collect a full-tilt series in electron diffraction to atomic resolution. A single tilt series contains up to 90 individual diffraction patterns collected from a single crystal with tilt angle increment of 0.1{\textendash}1{\textdegree} and a total accumulated electron dose less than 10 electrons per angstrom squared. We indexed the data from three crystals and used them for structure determination of lysozyme by molecular replacement followed by crystallographic refinement to 2.9 {\r A} resolution. This proof of principle paves the way for the implementation of a new technique, which we name {\textquoteleft}MicroED{\textquoteright}, that may have wide applicability in structural biology.

}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.01345}, author = {Shi, Dan and Nannenga, Brent L and Iadanza, Matthew G and Gonen, Tamir} } @article {5149, title = {The structure of purified kinetochores reveals multiple microtubule-attachment sites.}, journal = {Nature Structural \& Molecular Biology}, volume = {19}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Aug 12}, pages = {925-9}, abstract = {

Chromosomes must be accurately partitioned to daughter cells to prevent aneuploidy, a hallmark of many tumors and birth defects. Kinetochores are the macromolecular machines that segregate chromosomes by maintaining load-bearing attachments to the dynamic tips of microtubules. Here, we present the structure of isolated budding-yeast kinetochore particles, as visualized by EM and electron tomography of negatively stained preparations. The kinetochore appears as an \ 126-nm particle containing a large central hub surrounded by multiple outer globular domains. In the presence of microtubules, some particles also have a ring that encircles the microtubule. Our data, showing that kinetochores bind to microtubules via multivalent attachments, lay the foundation to uncover the key mechanical and regulatory mechanisms by which kinetochores control chromosome segregation and cell division.

}, issn = {1545-9985}, doi = {10.1038/nsmb.2358}, author = {Gonen, Shane and Akiyoshi, Bungo and Iadanza, Matthew G and Shi, Dan and Duggan, Nicole and Biggins, Sue and Gonen, Tamir} }