Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2169793 | Current Opinion in Cell Biology | 2012 | 7 Pages |
A complete understanding of complex dynamic cellular processes such as cell migration or cell adhesion requires the integration of atomic level structural information into the larger cellular context. While direct atomic-level information at the cellular level remains inaccessible, electron microscopy, electron tomography and their associated computational image processing approaches have now matured to a point where sub-cellular structures can be imaged in three dimensions at the nanometer scale. Atomic-resolution information obtained by other means can be combined with this data to obtain three-dimensional models of large macromolecular assemblies in their cellular context. This article summarizes some recent advances in this field.
► Electron microscopy provides nm-range information on large biological assemblies. ► Cellular context can be provided by electron tomography. ► Atomic-resolution information can be combined with both types of data. ► These approaches provide an essential link between structure and cell function.