Electron Microscopy of Biological Macromolecules

描述(总体)(由申请人提供)：该计划项目代表了一个协调和相互支持的努力，以追求电子衍射和电子显微镜发挥关键作用的结构生物学研究，并促进使这项研究成为可能的技术。该计划内的三个项目代表了电子结晶学和显微镜方法以及该计划支持的仪器在结构生物学具体问题上的应用。这些应用包括：微管蛋白的结构及其与影响微管细胞骨架动力学的配体和其他蛋白质的相互作用的研究；凝聚素的研究，即导致染色质缩合的蛋白质；微管蛋白中核苷酸水解后或与抑制聚合的药物结合时发生的构象变化的研究。此外，依靠计划项目支持的设备和设施的单独资助的研究项目也包括在准成员项目中。管理核心维护主要设备，支持计算机资源，并为计划项目中的所有参与者提供一种智力共同体和共同认同感。

DESCRIPTION (OVERALL) (provided by applicant): This Program Project represents a coordinated and mutually supporting effort to pursue research in structural biology where electron diffraction and electron microscopy play a key role and to advance the technology that enables this research. Three projects within the Program represent applications of the methods of electron crystallography and microscopy, as well as of the instrumentation supported by the Program, to specific problems in structural biology. These applications include: Studies of the structure of tubulin and its interactions with ligands and other proteins that affect the dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton; Studies on condensins, proteins responsible for condensation of chromatin; Studies of the conformational changes that follow nucleotide hydrolysis in tubulin or that occur upon binding of drugs that inhibit polymerization. Additional, separately funded research projects which rely on equipment and facilities supported by the Program Project are also included as Associate member projects. The Administrative Core maintains the major equipment, supports computer resources, and provides a sense of intellectual community and common identity for all the participants in the Program Project.