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Now days, digital data security over network is a big issue. Digital data security and authentication is a big and challenge able research area in the field of computer science. A lot of security mechanisms are available for data authentication and privacy. For the purpose of data security and secure communication encryption mechanism are available, and also for data authentication several watermarking techniques are available. In this paper authors mainly focus research based on image watermarking approach by using least significant bit substitutions. Here authors represent comparative studies of different LSB based image watermarking approach.This paper mainly focuses on spatial domain based data hiding mechanism. The detail comparison is also given in the tabular form.

The mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) coordinates proper chromosome biorientation on the spindle with ubiquitination activities of CDC20-activated anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C(CDC20)). APC/C(CDC20) and two E2s, UBE2C and UBE2S, catalyze ubiquitination through distinct architectures for linking ubiquitin (UB) to substrates and elongating polyUB chains, respectively. MCC, which contains a second molecule of CDC20, blocks APC/C(CDC20)-UBE2C-dependent ubiquitination of Securin and Cyclins, while differentially determining or inhibiting CDC20 ubiquitination to regulate spindle surveillance, checkpoint activation, and checkpoint termination. Here electron microscopy reveals conformational variation of APC/C(CDC20)-MCC underlying this multifaceted regulation. MCC binds APC/C-bound CDC20 to inhibit substrate access. However, rotation about the CDC20-MCC assembly and conformational variability of APC/C modulate UBE2C-catalyzed ubiquitination of MCC's CDC20 molecule. Access of UBE2C is limiting for subsequent polyubiquitination by UBE2S. We propose that conformational dynamics of APC/C(CDC20)-MCC modulate E2 activation and determine distinctive ubiquitination activities as part of a response mechanism ensuring accurate sister chromatid segregation.

Protein ubiquitination involves E1, E2, and E3 trienzyme cascades. E2 and RING E3 enzymes often collaborate to first prime a substrate with a single ubiquitin (UB) and then achieve different forms of polyubiquitination: multiubiquitination of several sites and elongation of linkage-specific UB chains. Here, cryo-EM and biochemistry show that the human E3 anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and its two partner E2s, UBE2C (aka UBCH10) and UBE2S, adopt specialized catalytic architectures for these two distinct forms of polyubiquitination. The APC/C RING constrains UBE2C proximal to a substrate and simultaneously binds a substrate-linked UB to drive processive multiubiquitination. Alternatively, during UB chain elongation, the RING does not bind UBE2S but rather lures an evolving substrate-linked UB to UBE2S positioned through a cullin interaction to generate a Lys11-linked chain. Our findings define mechanisms of APC/C regulation, and establish principles by which specialized E3-E2-substrate-UB architectures control different forms of polyubiquitination.

The NSL1 subunit structures interactions between the MIS12, NDC80, and KNL1 kinetochore complexes (see also a related paper by Maskell et al. in this issue)., Kinetochores are nucleoprotein assemblies responsible for the attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules during mitosis. The KMN network, a crucial constituent of the outer kinetochore, creates an interface that connects microtubules to centromeric chromatin. The NDC80, MIS12, and KNL1 complexes form the core of the KMN network. We recently reported the structural organization of the human NDC80 complex. In this study, we extend our analysis to the human MIS12 complex and show that it has an elongated structure with a long axis of ∼22 nm. Through biochemical analysis, cross-linking–based methods, and negative-stain electron microscopy, we investigated the reciprocal organization of the subunits of the MIS12 complex and their contacts with the rest of the KMN network. A highlight of our findings is the identification of the NSL1 subunit as a scaffold supporting interactions of the MIS12 complex with the NDC80 and KNL1 complexes. Our analysis has important implications for understanding kinetochore organization in different organisms.

Metazoan spliceosomes exhibit an elaborate protein composition required for canonical and alternative splicing. Thus, the minimal set of proteins essential for activation and catalysis remains elusive. We therefore purified in vitro assembled, precatalytic spliceosomal complex B, activated B(act), and step 1 complex C from the simple eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mass spectrometry revealed that yeast spliceosomes contain fewer proteins than metazoans and that each functional stage is very homogeneous. Dramatic compositional changes convert B to B(act), which is composed of approximately 40 evolutionarily conserved proteins that organize the catalytic core. Additional remodeling occurs concomitant with step 1, during which nine proteins are recruited to form complex C. The moderate number of proteins recruited to complex C will allow investigations of the chemical reactions in a fully defined system. Electron microscopy reveals high-quality images of yeast spliceosomes at defined functional stages, indicating that they are well-suited for three-dimensional structure analyses.

Once all chromosomes are connected to the mitotic spindle (bioriented), anaphase is initiated by the protein ubiquitylation activity of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and its coactivator Cdc20 (APC/C Cdc20 ). Before chromosome biorientation, anaphase is delayed by a mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) that inhibits APC/C Cdc20 . We used single-particle electron microscopy to obtain three-dimensional models of human APC/C in various functional states: bound to MCC, to Cdc20, or to neither (apo-APC/C). These experiments revealed that MCC associates with the Cdc20 binding site on APC/C, locks the otherwise flexible APC/C in a “closed” state, and prevents binding and ubiquitylation of a wide range of different APC/C substrates. These observations clarify the structural basis for the inhibition of APC/C by spindle checkpoint proteins.

Little is known about the higher-order structure of prespliceosomal A complexes, in which pairing of the pre-mRNA's splice sites occurs. Here, human A complexes were isolated under physiological conditions by double-affinity selection. Purified complexes contained stoichiometric amounts of U1, U2 and pre-mRNA, and crosslinking studies indicated that these form concomitant base pairing interactions with one another. A complexes contained nearly all U1 and U2 proteins plus approximately 50 non-snRNP proteins. Unexpectedly, proteins of the hPrp19/CDC5 complex were also detected, even when A complexes were formed in the absence of U4/U6 snRNPs, demonstrating that they associate independent of the tri-snRNP. Double-affinity purification yielded structurally homogeneous A complexes as evidenced by electron microscopy, and allowed for the first time the generation of a three-dimensional structure. A complexes possess an asymmetric shape (approximately 260 x 200 x 195 angstroms) and contain a main body with various protruding elements, including a head-like domain and foot-like protrusions. Complexes isolated here are well suited for in vitro assembly studies to determine factor requirements for the A to B complex transition.

For many E3 ligases, a mobile RING (Really Interesting New Gene) domain stimulates ubiquitin (Ub) transfer from a thioester-linked E2 similar to Ub intermediate to a lysine on a remotely bound disordered substrate. One such E3 is the gigantic, multisubunit 1.2-MDa anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC), which controls cell division by ubiquitinating cell cycle regulators to drive their timely degradation. Intrinsically disordered substrates are typically recruited via their KEN-box, D-box, and/or other motifs binding to APC and a coactivator such as CDH1. On the opposite side of the APC, the dynamic catalytic core contains the cullin-like subunit APC2 and its RING partner APC11, which collaborates with the E2 UBCH10 (UBE2C) to ubiquitinate substrates. However, how dynamic RING-E2 similar to Ub catalytic modules such as APC11-UBCH10 similar to Ub collide with distally tethered disordered substrates remains poorly understood. We report structural mechanisms of UBCH10 recruitment to APC(CDH1) and substrate ubiquitination. Unexpectedly, in addition to binding APC11's RING, UBCH10 is corecruited via interactions with APC2, which we visualized in a trapped complex representing an APC(CDH1)-UBCH10 similar to Ub-substrate intermediate by cryo-electron microscopy, and in isolation by X-ray crystallography. To our knowledge, this is the first structural view of APC, or any cullin-RING E3, with E2 and substrate juxtaposed, and it reveals how tripartite cullin-RING-E2 interactions establish APC's specificity for UBCH10 and harness a flexible catalytic module to drive ubiquitination of lysines within an accessible zone. We propose that multisite interactions reduce the degrees of freedom available to dynamic RING E3-E2 similar to Ub catalytic modules, condense the search radius for target lysines, increase the chance of active-site collision with conformationally fluctuating substrates, and enable regulation.

The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a ubiquitin ligase with essential functions in mitosis, meiosis, and G1 phase of the cell cycle. APC/C recognizes substrates via coactivator proteins such as Cdh1, and bound substrates are ubiquitinated by E2 enzymes that interact with a hetero-dimer of the RING subunit Apc11 and the cullin Apc2. We have obtained three-dimensional (3D) models of human and Xenopus APC/C by angular reconstitution and random conical tilt (RCT) analyses of negatively stained cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) preparations, have determined the masses of these particles by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and have mapped the locations of Cdh1 and Apc2. These proteins are located on the same side of the asymmetric APC/C, implying that this is where substrates are ubiquitinated. We have further identified a large flexible domain in APC/C that adopts a different orientation upon Cdh1 binding. Cdh1 may thus activate APC/C both by recruiting substrates and by inducing conformational changes.

Polyubiquitination by E2 and E3 enzymes is a predominant mechanism regulating protein function. Some RING E3s, including Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC), catalyze polyubiquitination by sequential reactions with two different E2s. An initiating E2 ligates ubiquitin to an E3-bound substrate. Another E2 grows a polyubiquitin chain on the ubiquitin-primed substrate through poorly defined mechanisms. Here we show that human APC’s RING domain is repurposed for dual functions in polyubiquitination. The canonical RING surface activates an initiating E2~ubiquitin intermediate for substrate modification. However, APC engages and activates its specialized ubiquitin chain elongating E2 UBE2S in ways that differ completely from current paradigms. During chain assembly, a distinct APC11 RING surface helps deliver a substrate-linked ubiquitin to accept another ubiquitin from UBE2S. Our data define mechanisms of APC/UBE2S-mediated polyubiquitination, reveal unexpectedly diverse functions of RING E3s and E2s, and provide a framework for understanding distinctive RING E3 features specifying ubiquitin chain elongation.

In tailed icosahedral bacteriophages the connection between the 5-fold symmetric environment of the portal vertex in the capsid and the 6-fold symmetric phage tail is formed by a complex interface structure. The current study provides the detailed analysis of the assembly and structural organisation of such an interface within a phage having a long tail. The region of the interface assembled as part of the viral capsid (connector) was purified from DNA-filled capsids of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1. It is composed of oligomers of gp6, the SPP1 portal protein, of gp15, and of gp16. The SPP1 connector structure is formed by a mushroom-like portal protein whose cap faces the interior of the viral capsid in intact virions, an annular structure below the stem of the mushroom, and a second narrower annulus that is in direct contact with the helical tail extremity. The layered arrangement correlates to the stacking of gp6, gp15, and gp16 on top of the tail. The gp16 ring is exposed to the virion outside. During SPP1 morphogenesis, gp6 participates in the procapsid assembly reaction, an early step in the assembly pathway, while gp15 and gp16 bind to the capsid portal vertex after viral chromosome encapsidation. gp16 is processed during or after tail attachment to the connector region. The portal protein gp6 has 12-fold cyclical symmetry in the connector structure, whereas assembly-naive gp6 exhibits 13-fold symmetry. We propose that it is the interaction of gp6 with other viral morphogenetic proteins that drives its assembly into the 12-mer state.

In eukaryotic cells, freshly synthesized messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) contains stretches of non-coding RNA that must be excised before the RNA can be translated into protein. Their removal is catalysed by the spliceosome, a large complex formed when a number of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) bind sequentially to the pre-mRNA. The first snRNP to bind is called U1; other snRNPs (U2, U4/U6 and U5) follow. Here we describe the three-dimensional structure of human U1 snRNP, determined by single-particle electron cryomicroscopy at 10 A resolution. The reconstruction reveals a doughnut-shaped central element that accommodates the seven Sm proteins common to all snRNPs, supporting a proposed model of circular Sm protein arrangement. By taking earlier biochemical results into account, we were able to assign the remaining density of the map to the other known components of U1 snRNP, deriving a structural model that describes the three-dimensional arrangement of proteins and RNA in U1 snRNP.

A 12 A resolution three-dimensional density map of the Haliotis tuberculata hemocyanin type 1 (HtH1) didecamer has been obtained by cryoelectron microscopy of unstained molecules and angular reconstitution. The dyad symmetry of the 8 MDa D5 HtH1 didecamer, formed by the pairing of two asymmetric 4 MDa ring-like C5 decamers, is emphasised. The major and minor surface helical grooves of the didecamer are well defined, in agreement with earlier data on molluscan hemocyanins. The location of the obliquely orientated repeating unit, a subunit dimer, within the decamer has been defined. Following interactive extraction of this dimer, several new structural features of the dimer and of the subunit have now emerged with improved detail. The subunit dimer possesses pseudo 2-fold symmetry, resulting from the steric arrangement of the wall domains/functional units (FUs-abcdef) of the two subunits. The arc and collar FUs (g and h) depart from this inherent 2-fold symmetry and are thereby responsible for the asymmetry of the C5 decamer, with the internalised collar/arc complex at one edge of the decamer. The FU heterodimers forming the wall morphological units have a hollow centre, and thus create a series of repeating channels that extend within the wall through all three tiers of the decamer. The connections between the wall and the arc are defined with improved clarity, and evidence is provided to indicate that the arc and collar FU pairs have a homodimeric composition (gg and hh, respectively). Two possibilities for the subunit path within the subunit dimer are presented, which correlate with the available structural, immunolabelling and protease cleavage data from HtH1 and other molluscan hemocyanins.

We have determined the three-dimensional structure of bacteriophage SPP1 portal protein (gp6) using electron microscopy at liquid-helium temperatures and angular reconstitution. The 13-fold symmetric gp6 oligomer is a turbine-shaped structure with three distinct regions: a conical stem with a central channel; the turbine wings region; and a fringe of small 'tentacles' at the end of the channel exposed to the viral head interior. The tentacle region appears flexible and may be associated with a particular function — sensing when the correct amount of DNA has been packaged. The three-dimensional structure of the gp6 SizA mutant, which packages a smaller chromosome, reveals significant differences in that region.

Samples of 80 S ribosomes from rabbit reticulocytes were subjected to electron cryomicroscopy combined with angular reconstitution. A three-dimensional reconstruction at 21 A resolution was obtained, which was compared with the corresponding (previously published) reconstruction of Escherichia coli 70 S ribosomes carrying tRNAs at the A and P sites. In the region of the intersubunit cavity, the principal features observed in the 70 S ribosome (such as the L1 protuberance, the central protuberance and A site finger in the large subunit) could all be clearly identified in the 80 S particle. On the other hand, significant additional features were observed in the 80 S ribosomes on the solvent sides and lower regions of both subunits. In the case of the small (40 S) subunit, the most prominent additions are two extensions at the base of the particle. By comparing the secondary structure of the rabbit 18 S rRNA with our model for the three-dimensional arrangement of E. coli 16 S rRNA, these two extensions could be correlated with the rabbit expansion segments (each totalling ca 170 bases) in the regions of helix 21, and of helices 8, 9 and 44, respectively. A similar comparison of the secondary structures of mammalian 28 S rRNA and E. coli 23 S rRNA, combined with preliminary modelling studies on the 23 S rRNA within the 50 S subunit, enabled the additional features in the 60 S subunit to be sub-divided into five groups. The first (corresponding to a total of ca 335 extra bases in helices 45, 98 and 101) is located on the solvent side of the 60 S subunit, close to the L7/L12 area. The second (820 bases in helices 25 and 38) is centrally placed on the solvent side of the subunit, whereas the third group (totaling 225 bases in helices 18/19, 27/29, 52 and 54) lies towards the L1 side of the subunit. The fourth feature (80 bases in helices 78 and 79) lies within or close to the L1 protuberance itself, and the fifth (560 bases in helix 63) is located underneath the L1 protuberance on the interface side of the 60 S subunit.

Background: The ribosome is central to protein synthesis in all living organisms. Single-particle electron cryomicroscopy has recently led to the determination of three-dimensional structures of bacterial ribosomes to ∼20 a, which have since revolutionised our understanding of ribosomal function. The structure we present here of the 80S rat liver ribosome leads the way to similar progress for mammalian ribosomes. Results: Among the new details revealed by our 25 a structure of the 80S rat liver ribosome are channels within the subunits, a large ‘flat ribosomal surface' (FRS) on the outer surface of the large subunit and structural extensions of the mammalian compared to the bacterial ribosome. The main large subunit channel in both the bacterial and the mammalian species starts at the peptidyl transferase centre, below the central protuberance, and ends in the FRS, at the lower back of the large subunit. Structurally, the channels of both species can be directly superimposed. Conclusions: The mammalian structural extensions – none of which trespass the FRS – can be interpreted in terms of rRNA inserts and additional protein content over that of bacterial ribosomes. The main large subunit channel, which ends at the FRS, is the best candidate for the exit channel for proteins targeted for the endoplasmic reticulum.

A three-dimensional reconstruction of keyhole limpet hemocyanin type 1 (KLH1) has been obtained using electron cryomicroscopy at liquid helium temperatures and single particle image processing. The use of a high-contrast embedding medium, 1% (w/v) glucose and 2% (w/v) ammonium molybdate (pH 7.0), enables high-resolution electron micrographs to be recorded close to focus, i.e. with excellent transfer of high-resolution information, while maintaining enough image contrast to localise the individual macromolecules in the images. When low-pass filtered to ∼45 A resolution, the new 15 A resolution reconstruction is very similar to the earlier reconstructions of gastropodan hemocyanins of specimens embedded in vitreous ice. The map shows much detail and reveals many new symmetry elements in this very large cylindrical molluscan hemocyanin. The full KLH1 didecamer has D5 pointgroup symmetry, yet within the KLH1 decameric half-molecules local 2-fold axes have emerged that make the wall of the KLH1 decamer, in spite of its having an exact C5 symmetry only, resemble the D5-symmetric wall of the decameric cephalopod hemocyanins. In fact, the outside of each tier of this six-tiered gastropodan hemocyanin was found to have an approximate D5 symmetry. Local 2-fold axes also relate the “functional units” within the dimeric “morphological units” of the wall and the collar areas of the 8 MDa KLH1 molecule. Certain local-symmetry-related surface motifs may be present up to 60 times on the outside wall of this highly symmetric cylindrical hemocyanin. Keyhole limpet hemocyanin is used clinically as an immunostimulant. The very strong immune reaction elicited by this hemocyanin may be associated with its intricate hierarchy of local-symmetry components.

A three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) didecamer has been obtained by single particle image analysis of cryoelectron micrographs. We exploit the random orientations of the individual particles within the vitreous ice matrix to reconstruct this oligomer in three dimensions without tilting the specimen holder and using only a single low-dose exposure of each specimen area. The symmetrical didecamer appears as a largely hollow cylinder of 370 ± 5 A × 400 ± 5 A and is apparently created by the face-to-face dimerization of two asymmetrical decamers. The molecule was reconstructed assuming D5 symmetry, which implies that a fivefold axis coincides with the cylinder axis and that five dyad axes lie within the central plane between the two decamers. The terminal domains of the subunit pair are thought to be folded into the central cavity at the "collar" region of the molecule, thus generating pronounced globular masses at each end of the cylinder. At the current level of resolution of about 45 A it is not yet possible to distinguish structurally between the two types of KLH didecamer, recently termed KLH1 and KLH2.

The connector of the virulent Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 (Styloviridae) is a structure localized at the phage head vertex which attaches the tail. It is formed by oligomerization of SPP1 gene product 6 (gp6; portal protein). The purified protein is found in solution essentially as a homo-tredecamer. Its assembly pattern resembles the turbine-like organization found for other portal proteins and has a defined handedness (Dube et al. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 1303–1309). A preliminary reconstruction of the structure shows that gp6 is composed of a lower ring connected by a narrow region to the upper area consisting of 13 lobes radiating from an inner ring. The assembly is organized around a central channel which spans its full height. A functional characterization of gp6 mutants showed that substitutions of defined amino acids by more basic residues lead to packaging of reduced amounts of DNA into the phage head (Tavares et al. (1992) J. Mol. Biol. 225, 81–92). Since SPP1 encapsidates its DNA by a headful mechanism, these mutations ( siz ) affect most probably a function on the headful sensor—signal transduction—headful cut system. Combination of siz alleles has severe effects in packaging. The resulting gp6 versions lead to the encapsidation of shorter DNA molecules at a lower efficiency than single siz mutants. Gene 6 is expressed late during SPP1 infection. Interestingly, the mass of portal protein inside the cell then increases continuously until lysis, reaching a level several fold higher than the amount required to accomplish its role as a structural component of the virion.

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of the giant hemoglobin of the common earthworm Lumbricus terrestris was determined from cryomicroscopical images of a vitrified molecular solution. From about 5000 molecular images, the best-fit 3D structure was calculated using recently developed analysis techniques. Multivariate statistical analysis data compression and automatic classification were used to find the characteristic projection images of the oligomer. The angular reconstitution approach was then applied to find the Euler angle orientations of these characteristic views. The Lumbricus hemoglobin molecule has an overall D6 (622) point-group symmetry and is found to have a local threefold symmetry axis within the 1/12th subunit. This additional symmetry appears to predict the presence of 36 abcd globin tetramers in the Lumbricus hemoglobin or a total of 144 heme chains for the whole oligomer. A distinct doughnut-shaped structure is elucidated in the center of the molecule. This central subunit, representing around 10% of the protein volume, may consist of non-heme-containing linker chains found generally in giant annelid hemoglobins.

Arthropod hemocyanins are large oligomeric oxygen-transporting proteins with molecular weight ranging from 450 kDa in the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) up to more than 3.6 mDa in the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). Hemocyanins from different species consist of one or multiple copies of a hexameric building block (of 450 kDa) and are sufficiently large to be easily visualized in the electron microscope. Arthropod hemocyanins were among the first macromolecules studied by multivariate statistical image analysis techniques. We present an overview of the different characteristic molecular images of various multihexameric (1 × 6, 2 × 6, 4 × 6, and 8 × 6) assemblies as these occur in electron-microscopical preparations. We also model the different assemblies in three dimensions by merging multiple copies of the X-ray-diffraction electron density of the single hexameric hemocyanin of Panulirus interruptus. By making correct enantiomeric decisions while merging the densities at the various levels of assembly and by fine-tuning the assembly parameters used, a good match can be obtained between the microscopical images and two-dimensional projections calculated from the three-dimensional (3D) model densities. Knowledge of the quaternary structures of this intricate hierarchical family of oligomers is essential for understanding the allosteric interactions associated with their strong oxygen-binding cooperativity.

The anaphase–promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a 22 S ubiquitin ligase complex that initiates chromosome segregation and mitotic exit. We have used biochemical and electron microscopic analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human APC/C to address how the APC/C subunit Doc1 contributes to recruitment and processive ubiquitylation of APC/C substrates, and to understand how APC/C monomers interact to form a 36 S dimeric form. We show that Doc1 interacts with Cdc27, Cdc16 and Apc1, and is located in vicinity of the cullin–RING module Apc2–Apc11 in the inner cavity of the APC/C. Substrate proteins also bind in the inner cavity, in close proximity to DOC1 and the co–activator CDH1, and induce conformational changes in APC2–APC11. Our results suggest that substrates are recruited to the APC/C by binding to a bipartite substrate receptor composed of a co–activator protein and Doc1.

Protein components of the U6 snRNP (Prp24p and LSm2–8) are thought to act cooperatively in facilitating the annealing of U6 and U4 snRNAs during U4/U6 di-snRNP formation. To learn more about the spatial arrangement of these proteins in S. cerevisiae U6 snRNPs, we investigated the structure of this particle by electron microscopy. U6 snRNPs, purified by affinity chromatography and gradient centrifugation, and then immediately adsorbed to the carbon film support, revealed an open form in which the Prp24 protein and the ring formed by the LSm proteins were visible as two separate morphological domains, while particles stabilized by chemical cross-linking in solution under mild conditions before binding to the carbon film exhibited a compact form, with the two domains in close proximity to one another. In the open form, individual LSm proteins were located by a novel approach employing C-terminal genetic tagging of the LSm proteins with yECitrine. These studies show the Prp24 protein at defined distances from each subunit of the LSm ring, which in turn suggests that the LSm ring is positioned in a consistent manner on the U6 RNA. Furthermore, in agreement with the EM observations, UV cross-linking revealed U6 RNA in contact with the LSm2 protein at the interface between Prp24p and the LSm ring. Further, LSmp–Prp24p interactions may be restricted to the closed form, which appears to represent the solution structure of the U6 snRNP particle.

We developed a method, named GraFix, that considerably improves sample quality for structure determination by single-particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). GraFix uses a glycerol gradient centrifugation step in which the complexes are centrifuged into an increasing concentration of a chemical fixation reagent to prevent aggregation and to stabilize individual macromolecules. The method can be used to prepare samples for negative-stain, cryo-negative-stain and, particularly, unstained cryo-EM.

As determined by hydrodynamic measurements the small heat shock protein Hsp25 isolated from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells occurs in the form of monomers with a molecular mass of 23 kDa and a diameter of about 3.8 nm as well as in the form of highly associated complexes with molecular masses of about 180 kDa up to 740 kDa. Electron microscopic investigation of Hsp25 complexes shows ring-like particles with a diameter of about 16 nm and a probably eightfold symmetry. Considering different arrangements of the monomers and using the program HYDRO [Garcia de la Torre et al. Biophysical J. 67:530–531 (1994)] theoretical sedimentation and diffusion coefficients were calculated which are in consensus with the experimental data when assuming ring-like structures. From these data a model for the 3D structure of Hsp25 complexes is derived which consists of four stacked rings each containing eight Hsp25 molecules.

The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is a cell cycle-regulated ubiquitin-protein ligase, composed of at least 11 subunits, that controls progression through mitosis and G1. Using cryo-electron microscopy and angular reconstitution, we have obtained a three-dimensional model of the human APC at a resolution of 24 A. The APC has a complex asymmetric structure 140 A x 140 A x 135 A in size, in which an outer protein wall surrounds a large inner cavity. We discuss the possibility that this cavity represents a reaction chamber in which ubiquitination reactions take place, analogous to the inner cavities formed by other protein machines such as the 26S proteasome and chaperone complexes. This cage hypothesis could help to explain the great subunit complexity of the APC.

Electron cryo-microscopy of individual non-crystallized macromolecules (“single particles”) is a very rapid technique for probing the three-dimensional (“3D”) structure of biological macromolecules. By exploiting the different orientations of the macromolecules in the embedding medium, one may extract 3D information from the data without ever collecting tilt series in the microscope. The angular reconstitution approach, designed for this purpose, was recently extended with a number of refinements which allow its use as a routine technique for finding 3D structures of macromolecules with arbitrary pointgroup symmetry, from entirely asymmetric ribosomes to viruses with icosahedral symmetry.The specimen preparation technique associated with the angular reconstitution approach is simple and fast since crystallization experiments are avoided altogether. The vitreous-ice embedding specimen preparation technique remains one of our favorite specimen preparation techniques. We are, however, currently experimenting with specimens embedded in glucose and ammonium molybdate or other heavy-metal salts. Collecting good micrographs can also be quite straightforward since the images are taken from untilted specimens, while exposing each image area only once.

Electron microscopy of individual non-crystallized (large) macromolecules is a very rapid technique for probing the three-dimensional (3D) structure of biological macromolecules. Since there is no need for extensive crystallization experiments, specimen preparation can be simple and fast. In particular the vitreous-ice embedding specimen preparation technique, in which the macromolecules are kept in a waterlike environment, has proved very suited for this purpose. One may extract three-dimensional information from the data - without ever collecting tilt series in the microscope - by exploiting thedifferent ("random") orientations the macromolecules have with respect to the grid. Collecting tilt series can be cumbersome and requires multiple exposure of the sensitive molecules. The only techniquewhich was available for such single-shot 3D microscopy was the common-lines technique for virusses with icosahedral symmetry [Crowther (1971), Fuller (1987)]. The other technique available for asymmetric non-crystalline specimens is the random conical tilt technique [Radermacher (1986)]. However, this technique is a tilt series technique requiring two exposures per specimen area. Moreover, it requiresthe molecules to be preferentially oriented with respect to the plane of the support film which - in turn - requires strong (and thus unfavourable) interactions between molecule and support.

Background: The ribosome — essential for protein synthesis in all organisms — has been an evasive target for structural studies. The best available structures for the 70S Escherichia coli ribosome or its 30S and 50S subunits are based on electron microscopical tilt experiments and are limited in resolution to 28–55 a. The angular reconstitution approach, which exploits the random orientations of particles within a vitreous ice matrix, can be used in conjunction with cryo-electron microscopy to yield a higher-resolution structure. Results Our 23 a resolution map of the 70S ribosome elucidates many structural details, such as an extensive system of channels within the 50S subunit and an inter-subunit gap ideally shaped to accommodate two transfer RNA molecules. The resolution achieved is sufficient to allow the preliminary fitting of double-helical regions of an earlier three-dimensional ribosomal RNA model. Conclusion Although we are still a long way from attaining an atomic-resolution structure of the ribosome, cryo-electron microscopy, in combination with angular reconstitution, is likely to yield three-dimensional maps with gradually increasing resolution. As exemplified by our current 23 a reconstruction, these maps will lead to progressive refinement of models of the ribosomal RNA.

A procedure is described for the direct determination of cadmium in human urine using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman-effect background correction. Except for a straightforward 1 + 1 V/V dilution of samples with 1.5% nitric acid, no matrix modifier or sample pre-treatment was necessary, thus reducing the risk of contamination. The concentration of cadmium in urine was evaluated directly from a calibration graph prepared using a metal-spiked human urine pool. In this way the time-consuming method of standard additions was avoided, permitting an increased sample throughput (120-150 samples per day; 90 s per analysis) with minimal attention of the analyst. In routine use, the precision (both within day and day to day) and limit of detection were of the order of less than 10% and 0.05 micrograms l-1 of Cd, respectively. The method is suitable for the biological monitoring of cadmium in the general population or in occupationally exposed persons.

Large cyclical oligomers may be formed by (curvi-) linear polymerization of monomers until the n(th) monomer locks in with the first member of the chain. The subunits in incomplete structures exhibit a natural curvature with respect to each other which can be perturbed when the oligomer closes cyclically. Using cryo-electron microscopy and multivariate statistical image processing we report herein a direct structural observation of this effect. A sub-population (approximately 15%) of incomplete oligomers was found within a sample of SPP1 bacteriophage portal proteins embedded in vitreous ice. Whereas the curvature between adjacent subunits of the closed circular 13-fold symmetric oligomer is 27.7 degrees, in these incomplete oligomers the angle is only 25.8 degrees, a value which almost allows for a 14-subunit cyclical arrangement. A simple model for the association of large cyclical oligomers is suggested by our data.

Electron microscopy in combination with image processing is a powerful method for obtaining structural information on non-crystallized biological macromolecules at the 10-50 A resolution level. The processing of noisy microscopical images requires advanced data processing methodologies in which one must carefully avoid the introduction of any form of bias into the data set. Using a novel multivariate statistical approach to the analysis of symmetry, we studied the structure of the bacteriophage SPP1 portal protein oligomer. This portal structure, ubiquitous in icosahedral bacteriophages which package dsDNA, is located at the site of symmetry mismatch between a 5-fold vertex of the icosahedral shell and the 6-fold symmetric (helical) tail. From previous studies such 'head-to-tail connector' structures were generally accepted to be homododecamers assembled in a 12-fold symmetric ring around a central channel. Using a new analysis methodology we have found that the phage SPP1 portal structure exhibits 13-fold cyclical symmetry: a new point group organization for oligomeric proteins. A model for the DNA packaging mechanism by 13-fold symmetric portal protein assemblies is presented which attributes a coherent functional meaning to their unusual symmetry.

A rapid and direct method for the determination of chromium in human urine using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman-effect background correction is described. No reagent or sample pre-treatment (except for straightforward dilution of concentrated samples with distilled water) was necessary, thereby reducing the risk of contamination. The concentration of chromium in urine was evaluated directly from a calibration graph constructed from a metal-spiked human urine pool. Hence, the time consuming method of standard additions was avoided, which permitted an increased sample throughput (100–120 samples per day) with minimum attention of the analyst. In routine use, the reproducibility (both within-day and day-to-day) and limit of detection were in the order of ±10% and 0.09 µg l–1 of Cr, respectively. With a minor alteration in charring temperature the method may also be used for the determination of chromium in whole blood and serum. The method described is suitable for the biological monitoring of chromium in the general population or in occupationally exposed persons.