Unraveling the Architecture and Structural Dynamics of Pathogens byHigh-Resolution in vitro Atomic Force Microscopy

Extract

Progress in structural biology very much depends upon the development of new high-resolution techniques and tools. Despite decades of study of viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores and their pressing importance in human medicine and biodefense, many of their structural properties are poorly understood. Thus, characterization and understanding of the architecture of protein surface and internal structures of pathogens is critical to elucidating mechanisms of disease, immune response, physicochemical properties, environmental resistance and development of countermeasures against bioterrorist agents. Furthermore, even though complete genome sequences are available for various pathogens, the structure-function relationships are not understood. Because of their lack of symmetry and heterogeneity, large human pathogens are often refractory to X-ray crystallographic analysis or reconstruction by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). An alternative high-resolution method to examine native structure of pathogens is atomic force microscopy (AFM), which allows direct visualization of macromolecular assemblies at near-molecular resolution. The capability to image single pathogen surfaces at nanometer scale in vitro would profoundly impact mechanistic and structural studies of Progress in structural biology very much depends upon the development of new high-resolution techniques and tools. Despite decades of study of viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores and their pressing importance in human medicine and biodefense, many of their structural properties are poorly understood. Thus, characterization and understanding of the architecture of protein surface and internal structures of pathogens is critical to elucidating mechanisms of disease, immune response, physicochemical properties, environmental resistance and development of countermeasures against bioterrorist agents. Furthermore, even though complete genome sequences are available for various pathogens, the structure-function relationships are not understood. Because of their lack of symmetry and heterogeneity, large human pathogens are often refractory to X-ray crystallographic analysis or reconstruction by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). An alternative high-resolution method to examine native structure of pathogens is atomic force microscopy (AFM), which allows direct visualization of macromolecular assemblies at near-molecular resolution. The capability to image single pathogen surfaces at nanometer scale in vitro would profoundly impact mechanistic and structural studies of pathogenesis, immunobiology, specific cellular processes, environmental dynamics and biotransformation.