Part of this work was supported by NIH grant HL090630 (ISK).

1. Preparation steps for the peel-blot technique
NOTE: Preparation requires for the following items to be placed adjacent to each other.
<ol>
	<li>Stack two pieces of 20-25 &#181;m pore size filter paper (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Place an ~8 cm x 10 cm long paraffin film adjacent to the filter paper with the paper facing up.</li>
	<li>Place a piece of submicron filter paper on top of two additional pieces of #4 filter paper (Figure 1-1).</li>
	<li>Position the anti-capillary forceps with the bent leg facing up and the straight leg facing down. Then, select a 600-mesh grid with the smooth/shiny side up. Place the forceps on a Petri dish or other raised surface to avoid contact of the clean grid with other items.</li>
	<li>Remove the paper from the paraffin film and pull the sides (~5 mm) to create a small rim. Pipette two 150 &#181;L drops of 4% trehalose solution ~1-2 cm from one short side of the paraffin film and ~1 cm apart on the paraffin film.</li>
	<li>On a separate bench or on the floor, pour liquid nitrogen in a small polystyrene foam container (see Table of Materials). 
	CAUTION: Receive training for proper handling using gloves and a face shield in order to avoid frost bite.</li>
	<li>Place a small cryo-EM grid container in the liquid nitrogen and cover the polystyrene foam container with lint-free wipes.</li>
</ol>
2. Placing the carbon film onto the grid
<ol>
	<li>Use Dumont #5 forceps (see Table of Materials) to float of the carbon film from the mica by touching one side of the mica at a slight angle downwards (~20&#176;-40&#176;) on one of the drops of trehalose solution and slowly let the water tension lift off the carbon film by moving the mica downwards. Release the mica once the carbon film floats on the surface of the droplet.</li>
	<li>Visually inspect the carbon film to avoid using carbon with damage in the form of fractures.</li>
	<li>Insert the grid held by the anti-capillary forceps at an angle (~20&#176;-30&#176;) into a trehalose drop at a position adjacent to, and then centered under the carbon film. Pick up the carbon film (Figure 1-2).</li>
	<li>Keep the grid in the same orientation and slowly lower it onto the surface of the second drop of trehalose without breaking the surface tension of the drop to remove unnecessary carbon film that may have wrapped around the rim of the grid to the rough side.</li>
</ol>
3. Separation of multi-layered 2D crystals into single layers
<ol>
	<li>Rotate the anti-capillary forceps (see Table of Materials) and place them on a Petri dish with the carbon side of the grid facing down (Figure 1-3).</li>
	<li>Pipette 1.3 &#181;L of the sample into the slight trehalose meniscus on top of the grid. Pipette the solution ~8-10 times to mix and distribute the trehalose and sample on both sides of the grid.</li>
	<li>While incubating the solution for 1 min, pipette one or more 1.7 &#181;L drops of trehalose solution onto the paraffin film.</li>
	<li>Rotate the grid back into its original position with the carbon film facing up.</li>
	<li>Use the anti-capillary forceps to press the grid onto the submicron filter paper (Figure 1-4). Once the solution has been absorbed by the filter paper and the carbon film is lying flat, wait for 3s before lifting the grid and moving it vertically onto the 1.7 &#181;L drop of trehalose solution (Figure 1-5). 
	NOTE: Repeat this step multiple times for highly stacked samples, or the grid is prepared for vitrification in the next steps.</li>
	<li>Blot the grid on the two pieces of filter paper, and then lift the grid from the filter paper (Figure 1-6). After approximately 13 s, depending on humidity and sample buffer, plunge the grid into the liquid nitrogen in the small Styrofoam container and place the grid in the cryo-EM grid container or transfer it directly for cryo-EM screening or data collection. 
	NOTE: In order to rapidly optimize the protocol, negatively stain the peel-blotted grid at this step rather than plunging it into liquid nitrogen. Negatively stain the sample by applying 3 &#181;L of 1% uranyl acetate to the grid, incubate the grid for 30 s, and blot it with a torn piece of 20-25 &#181;m pore size filter paper. Grids of 2D crystals vitrified in trehalose, tannin, or glucose are routinely hand-plunged for vitrification as trehalose, tannin, and glucose prevent the formation of crystalline ice at rates used for hand-plunging2.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Johnson, M. C., Uddin, Y. M., Neselu, K., Schmidt-Krey, I. 2D crystallography of membrane protein single-, double- and multi-layered ordered arrays. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2215, 227-245 (2021).</li>
	<li>Ku&#776;hlbrandt, W., Downing, K. H. Two-dimensional structure of plant light harvesting complex at 3.7 &#197; resolution by electron crystallography. Journal .of Molecular Biology. 207&#160;(4), 823-828 (1989).</li>
	<li>Nannenga, B. L., Gonen, T. MicroED: a versatile cryoEM method for structure determination. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences. 2&#160;(1), 1-8 (2018).</li>
	<li>Martynowycz, M. W., Zhao, W., Hattne, J., Jensen, G. J., Gonen, T. Collection of continuous rotation microED data from ion beam-milled crystals of any size. Structure. 27&#160;(3), 545-548 (2019).</li>
	<li>Gonen, T. et al. Lipid-protein interactions in double-layered two-dimensional AQP0 crystals. Nature. 438&#160;(7068), 633-638(2005).</li>
	<li>Gonen, T. The collection of high-resolution electron diffraction data. Methods in Molecular Biology. 955, 153-169 (2013).</li>
	<li>Wisedchaisri, G., Gonen T. Phasing electron diffraction data by molecular replacement: strategy for structure determination and refinement. Methods in Molecular Biology. 955, 243-272 (2013).</li>
	<li>Gipson B., Zeng X., Zhang Z. Y., Stahlberg, H. 2dx-user-friendly image processing for 2D crystals. Journal of Structural Biology. 157&#160;(1), 64-72 (2007).</li>
	<li>Biyani, N. et al. Focus: The interface between data collection and data processing in cryo-EM. Journal of Structural Biology. 198&#160;(2), 124-133 (2017).</li>
	<li>Righetto, R., Stahlberg, H.Single particle analysis for high-resolution 2D electron crystallography. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2215, 267-284 (2021).</li>
</ol>

The authors do not have competing financial interests or other conflicts of interest.

The peel-blot is a powerful method to overcome stacking and thickness of multi-layered 2D crystals and similar samples for cryo-EM data collection and image processing. A decision on the use of the peel-blot will be based on biological parameters of the sample and will also require assessment once a 3D cryo-EM model is available. The biological importance of contacts and potential flexibility of contact regions will be particularly important in this assessment.
The number of peel-blots will in...

The peel-blot technique was developed in order to separate stacked two-dimensional crystals of membrane proteins into single layers to obtain suitably thin samples for cryo-EM 2D and 3D data collection and facilitate image processing1. The protocol is similarly suitable for other types of multilamellar samples as well as for achieving high sample concentrations of either sample type on the grid without increasing the thickness in Z.
Reduction of sample layers to one layer is achieved by applying a combination of capillary pressure and shearing forces in a protocol that substantially extends on and modifies the back-injection method2. A first blotting step results in tight sandwiching and adherence to the carbon film and a grid bar on either side of the multi-layered sample during blotting on submicron rather than the 20-25&#181;m filter paper pore size in the back-injection method. The separation, or peeling, of an individual layer occurs upon forcing the separation of the sandwiched layers once the grid is pressed vertically onto a trehalose drop, forcing the carbon film away from the grid bar (Figure 1). Repositioning of the carbon film away from the original contact point with the grid bar occurs in the next step, when the grid is once again blotted on submicron filter paper. The number of iterations of these steps can be optimized for specific samples. Furthermore, the protocol can be used to increase sample concentrations while avoiding aggregation in Z. Due to the reliance on adherence to the grid bar and carbon film as well as forceful separation, this approach may not be suitable for highly fragile molecules such as certain delicate and/or unstable proteins and protein complexes.
The peel-blot technique neither requires specialized equipment nor expensive supplies. Applicability to specific samples will, however, require careful considerations of biological parameters. The decision is easier for 2D crystals as carbon film is required to ensure flatness, yet manipulation via the peel-blot technique may affect the biological integrity of the sample or crystalline order. Suitability of the peel-blot technique to single particles is restricted to and may be tested for those that require carbon film and are stable to manipulation. Specimens with critical biological interactions between layers may not be suitable for characterization with help of the peel-blot technique due to the disruption of such interactions.
The peel-blot technique (&#34;peel-blot&#34;) is most quickly optimized by testing and screening with negative stain or unstained samples by TEM at room temperature. Once the optimal number of peel-blot iterations have been identified, the time to control thickness before vitrification can be determined.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>600-mesh grids</td>
			<td>SPI</td>
			<td>2060-C-XA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-capillary forceps</td>
			<td>Ted Pella</td>
			<td>510-5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Carbon to coat mica</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cryo-EM</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Cryo-EM grids may be screened at 120 kV or 200 kV.&#160; High-resolution data is collected at 300 kV.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dumpont #5 forceps</td>
			<td>Ted Pella</td>
			<td>5622</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Grid box for cryo-EM storage</td>
			<td>Ted Pella</td>
			<td>160-40</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Kim Wipes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liquid nitrogen</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mica</td>
			<td>Ted Pella</td>
			<td>56</td>
			<td>The mica is carbon-coated and cut into squares that are slighlty larger than a TEM grid.&#160; The carbon thickness may require optimization to avoid thin carbon that breaks easily upon multiple peel blots.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Negative stain</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1-2% uranyl acetate is suitable for many samples.&#160; Other stains such as phosphotungstic acid can be substituted.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polystyrene container</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Used for vitrifying the peel-blot grid. A polystyrene shipping container can be recycled for this purpose and lined with aluminium foil.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Submicron filter paper</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>DAWP04700</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Transmission electron microscope</td>
			<td>JEOL</td>
			<td>JEM-1400</td>
			<td>Any TEM operated at an accelerating voltage of 80-120 kV will be suitable for screening of negatively stained grids.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trehalose</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Prepare 4% trehalose solution.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Whatman #4 filter paper</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>WHA1004150</td>
			<td>This corresponds to the 20-25 &#956;m pore size filter paper in the protocol.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

the peel-blot technique: a cryo-em sample preparation method to separate single layers from multi-layered or concentrated biological samples

The peel-blot cryo-EM grid preparation technique is a significantly modified back-injection method with the objective of achieving a reduction in layers of multi-layered samples. This removal of layers prior to plunge freezing can aid in reducing sample thickness to a level suitable for cryo-EM data collection, improving sample flatness, and facilitating image processing. The peel-blot technique allows for the separation of multilamellar membranes into single layers, of layered 2D crystals into individual crystals, and of stacked, sheet-like structures of soluble proteins to likewise be separated into single layers. The high sample thickness of these types of samples frequently poses insurmountable problems for cryo-EM data collection and cryo-EM image processing, especially when the microscope stage must be tilted for data collection. Furthermore, grids of high concentrations of any of these samples can be prepared for efficient data collection since sample concentration prior to grid preparation can be increased and the peel-blot technique adjusted to result in a dense distribution of single-layered specimen.

A successful peel-blot experiment will result in single layers of samples at often high concentrations. It is to be expected that some regions in most grid squares will still contain multiple layers, especially at fewer numbers of iterations of the peel-blot steps. The majority of grid squares, however, will contain extensive regions of single layers as observed for 2D crystals of human leukotriene C4&#160;synthase (Figure 2) and liposomes (added in step 3.2, ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Peel-Blot Technique: A Cryo-EM Sample Preparation Method to Separate Single Layers From Multi-Layered or Concentrated Biological Samples at JoVE.com

The Peel-Blot Technique: A Cryo-EM Sample Preparation Method to Separate Single Layers From Multi-Layered or Concentrated Biological Samples

The peel-blot technique is a cryo-EM grid preparation method that allows for the separation of multilayered and concentrated biological samples into single layers to reduce thickness, increase sample concentration, and facilitate image processing.

The peel-blot cryo-EM grid preparation technique is a significantly modified back-injection method with the objective of achieving a reduction in layers ...

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2.2K Views.  Georgia Institute of Technology. The peel-blot technique is a cryo-EM grid preparation method that allows for the separation of multilayered and concentrated biological samples into single layers to reduce thickness, increase sample concentration, and facilitate image processing.

Video: The Peel-Blot Technique: A Cryo-EM Sample Preparation Method to Separate Single Layers From Multi-Layered or Concentrated Biological Samples

Multimer-PAGE: A Method for Capturing and Resolving Protein Complexes in Biological Samples

There are many well-developed methods for purifying and studying single proteins and peptides. However, most cellular functions are carried out by networks of interacting protein complexes, which are often difficult to investigate because their binding is non-covalent and easily perturbed by purification techniques. This work describes a method of stabilizing and separating native protein complexes from unmodified tissue using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Tissue lysate is loaded onto a non-denaturing blue-native polyacrylamide gel, then an electric current is applied until the protein migrates a short distance into the gel. The gel strip containing the migrated protein is then excised and incubated with the amine-reactive cross-linking reagent dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate), which covalently stabilizes protein complexes. The gel strip containing cross-linked complexes is then cast into a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel, and the complexes are separated completely. The method relies on techniques and materials familiar to most molecular biologists, meaning it is inexpensive and easy to learn. While it is limited in its ability to adequately separate extremely large complexes, and has not been universally successful, the method was able to capture a wide variety of well-studied complexes, and is likely applicable to many systems of interest.

A method for stabilizing and separating native protein complexes from unmodified tissue lysate using an amine-reactive protein cross-linker coupled to a novel two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) system is presented.

There are many well-developed methods for purifying and studying single proteins and peptides. However, most cellular functions are carried out by ...

A Simple Fractionated Extraction Method for the Comprehensive Analysis of Metabolites, Lipids, and Proteins from a Single Sample

Understanding of complex biological systems requires the measurement, analysis and integration of multiple compound classes of the living cell, usually determined by transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomics and lipidomic measurements. In this protocol, we introduce a simple method for the reproducible extraction of metabolites, lipids and proteins from biological tissues using a single aliquot per sample. The extraction method is based on a methyl tert-butyl ether: methanol: water system for liquid: liquid partitioning of hydrophobic and polar metabolites into two immiscible phases along with the precipitation of proteins and other macromolecules as a solid pellet. This method, therefore, provides three different fractions of specific molecular composition, which are fully compatible with common high throughput 'omics' technologies such as liquid chromatography (LC) or gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometers. Even though the method was initially developed for the analysis of different plant tissue samples, it has proved to be fully compatible for the extraction and analysis of biological samples from systems as diverse as algae, insects, and mammalian tissues and cell cultures.

A protocol for comprehensive extraction of lipids, metabolites and proteins from biological tissues using one sample is presented.

Understanding of complex biological systems requires the measurement, analysis and integration of multiple compound classes of the living cell, usually ...

Cryo-EM and Single-Particle Analysis with Scipion

Cryo-electron microscopy has become one of the most important tools in biological research to reveal the structural information of macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. In single-particle analysis, the vitrified sample is imaged by an electron beam and the detectors at the end of the microscope column produce movies of that sample. These movies contain thousands of images of identical particles in random orientations. The data need to go through an image processing workflow with multiple steps to obtain the final 3D reconstructed volume. The goal of the image processing workflow is to identify the acquisition parameters to be able to reconstruct the specimen under study. Scipion provides all the tools to create this workflow using several image processing packages in an integrative framework, also allowing the traceability of the results. In this article the whole image processing workflow in Scipion is presented and discussed with data coming from a real test case, giving all the details necessary to go from the movies obtained by the microscope to a high resolution final 3D reconstruction. Also, the power of using consensus tools that allow combining methods, and confirming results along every step of the workflow, improving the accuracy of the obtained results, is discussed.

Single-particle analysis in cryo-electron microscopy is one of the main techniques used to determine the structure of biological ensembles at high resolution. Scipion provides the tools to create the whole pipeline to process the information acquired by the microscope and achieve a 3D reconstruction of the biological specimen.

Cryo-electron microscopy has become one of the most important tools in biological research to reveal the structural information of macromolecules at ...

A Sample Preparation Pipeline for Microcrystals at the VMXm Beamline

The mounting of microcrystals (&#60;10 &#181;m) for single crystal cryo-crystallography presents a non-trivial challenge. Improvements in data quality have been seen for microcrystals with the development of beamline optics, beam stability and variable beam size focusing from submicron to microns, such as at the VMXm beamline at Diamond Light Source1. Further improvements in data quality will be gained through improvements in sample environment and sample preparation. Microcrystals inherently generate weaker diffraction, therefore improving the signal-to-noise is key to collecting quality X-ray diffraction data and will predominantly come from reductions in background noise. Major sources of X-ray background noise in a diffraction experiment are from their interaction with the air path before and after the sample, excess crystallization solution surrounding the sample, the presence of crystalline ice and scatter from any other beamline instrumentation or X-ray windows. The VMXm beamline comprises instrumentation and a sample preparation protocol to reduce all these sources of noise.
Firstly, an in-vacuum sample environment at VMXm removes the air path between X-ray source and sample. Next, sample preparation protocols for macromolecular crystallography at VMXm utilize a number of processes and tools adapted from cryoTEM. These include copper grids with holey carbon support films, automated blotting and plunge cooling robotics making use of liquid ethane. These tools enable the preparation of hundreds of microcrystals on a single cryoTEM grid with minimal surrounding liquid on a low-noise support. They also minimize the formation of crystalline ice from any remaining liquid surrounding the crystals. 
We present the process for preparing and assessing the quality of soluble protein microcrystals using visible light and scanning electron microscopy before mounting the samples on the VMXm beamline for X-ray diffraction experiments. We will also provide examples of good quality samples as well as those which require further optimization and strategies to do so.

The signal-to-noise ratio of data is one of the most important considerations in performing X-ray diffraction measurements from microcrystals. The VMXm beamline provides a low-noise environment and microbeam for such experiments. Here, we describe sample preparation methods for mounting and cooling microcrystals for VMXm and other microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamlines.

The mounting of microcrystals (&#60;10 &#181;m) for single crystal cryo-crystallography presents a non-trivial challenge. Improvements in data quality ...

Preparing Lamellae from Vitreous Biological Samples Using a Dual-Beam Scanning Electron Microscope for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Presented here is a protocol for preparing cryo-lamellae from plunge-frozen grids of Plasmodium falciparum-infected&#160;human erythrocytes, which could easily be adapted for other biological samples. The basic principles for preparing samples, milling, and viewing lamellae are common to all instruments and the protocol can be followed as a general guide to on-grid cryo-lamella preparation for cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryoET). Electron microscopy grids supporting the cells are plunge-frozen into liquid nitrogen-cooled liquid ethane using a manual or automated plunge freezer, then screened on a light microscope equipped with a cryo-stage. Frozen grids are transferred into a cryo-scanning electron microscope equipped with a focused ion beam (cryoFIB-SEM). Grids are routinely sputter coated prior to milling, which aids dispersal of charge build-up during milling. Alternatively, an e-beam rotary coater can be used to apply a layer of carbon-platinum to the grids, the exact thickness of which can be more precisely controlled. Once inside the cryoFIB-SEM an additional coating of an organoplatinum compound is applied to the surface of the grid via a gas injection system (GIS). This layer protects the front edge of the lamella as it is milled, the integrity of which is critical for achieving uniformly thin lamellae. Regions of interest are identified via SEM and milling is carried out in a step-wise fashion, reducing the current of the ion beam as the lamella reaches electron transparency, in order to avoid excessive heat generation. A grid with multiple lamellae is then transferred to a transmission electron microscope (TEM) under cryogenic conditions for tilt-series acquisition. A robust and contamination-free workflow for lamella preparation is an essential step for downstream techniques, including cellular cryoEM, cryoET, and sub-tomogram averaging. Development of these techniques, especially for lift-out and milling of high-pressure frozen samples, is of high-priority in the field.

Using focused ion beam milling to produce vitreous on-grid lamellae from plunge frozen biological samples for cryo-electron tomography.

Presented here is a protocol for preparing cryo-lamellae from plunge-frozen grids of Plasmodium falciparum-infected&#160;human erythrocytes, which could ...

Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: From Sample to Structure

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) is a powerful technique for structure determination of macromolecular complexes, via single particle analysis (SPA). The overall process involves i) vitrifying the specimen in a thin film supported on a cryoEM grid; ii) screening the specimen to assess particle distribution and ice quality; iii) if the grid is suitable, collecting a single particle dataset for analysis; and iv) image processing to yield an EM density map. In this protocol, an overview for each of these steps is provided, with a focus on the variables which a user can modify during the workflow and the troubleshooting of common issues. With remote microscope operation becoming standard in many facilities, variations on imaging protocols to assist users in efficient operation and imaging when physical access to the microscope is limited will be described.

Structure determination of macromolecular complexes using cryoEM has become routine for certain classes of proteins and complexes. Here, this pipeline is summarized (sample preparation, screening, data acquisition and processing) and readers are directed towards further detailed resources and variables that may be altered in the case of more challenging specimens.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) is a powerful technique for structure determination of macromolecular complexes, via single particle analysis (SPA). The ...

Preparation of High-Temperature Sample Grids for Cryo-EM

The sample grids for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) experiments are usually prepared at a temperature optimal for the storage of biological samples, mostly at 4 &#176;C and occasionally at room temperature. Recently, we discovered that the protein structure solved at low temperature may not be functionally relevant, particularly for proteins from thermophilic archaea. A procedure was developed to prepare protein samples at higher temperatures (up to 70 &#176;C) for cryo-EM analysis. We showed that the structures from samples prepared at higher temperatures are functionally relevant and temperature dependent. Here we describe a detailed protocol for preparing sample grids at high temperature, using 55 &#176;C as an example. The experiment made use of a vitrification apparatus modified using an additional centrifuge tube, and samples were incubated at 55 &#176;C. The detailed procedures were fine-tuned to minimize vapor condensation and obtain a thin layer of ice on the grid. Examples of successful and unsuccessful experiments are provided.

This paper provides a detailed protocol for preparing sample grids at temperatures as high as 70 &#176;C, prior to plunge freezing for cryo-EM experiments.

The sample grids for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) experiments are usually prepared at a temperature optimal for the storage of biological samples, ...

Sample Preparation using a Lipid Monolayer Method for Electron Crystallographic Studies

Electron crystallography is a powerful tool for high-resolution structure determination. Macromolecules such as soluble or membrane proteins can be grown into highly ordered two-dimensional (2D) crystals under favorable conditions. The quality of the grown 2D crystals is crucial to the resolution of the final reconstruction via 2D image processing. Over the years, lipid monolayers have been used as a supporting layer to foster the 2D crystallization of peripheral membrane proteins as well as soluble proteins. This method can also be applied to 2D crystallization of integral membrane proteins but requires more extensive empirical investigation to determine detergent and dialysis conditions to promote partitioning to the monolayer. A lipid monolayer forms at the air-water interface such that the polar lipid head groups remain hydrated in the aqueous phase and the non-polar, acyl chains, tails partition into the air, breaking the surface tension and flattening the water surface. The charged nature or distinctive chemical moieties of the head groups provide affinity for proteins in solution, promoting binding for 2D array formation. A newly formed monolayer with the 2D array can be readily transfer into an electron microscope (EM) on a carbon-coated copper grid used to lift and support the crystalline array. In this work, we describe a lipid monolayer methodology for cryogenic electron microscopic (cryo-EM) imaging.

Lipid monolayers have been used as a foundation for forming two-dimensional (2D) protein crystals for structural studies for decades. They are stable at the air-water interface and can serve as a thin supporting material for electron imaging. Here we present the proven steps on preparing lipid monolayers for biological studies.

Electron crystallography is a powerful tool for high-resolution structure determination. Macromolecules such as soluble or membrane proteins can be grown ...

A Robust Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) Processing Workflow with cryoSPARC, RELION, and Scipion

Recent advances in both instrumentation and image processing software have made single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) the preferred method for structural biologists to determine high-resolution structures of a wide variety of macromolecules. Multiple software suites are available to new and expert users for image processing and structure calculation, which streamline the same basic workflow: movies acquired by the microscope detectors undergo correction for beam-induced motion and contrast transfer function (CTF) estimation. Next, particle images are selected and extracted from averaged movie frames for iterative 2D and 3D classification, followed by 3D reconstruction, refinement, and validation. Because various software packages employ different algorithms and require varying levels of expertise to operate, the 3D maps they generate often differ in quality and resolution. Thus, users regularly transfer data between a variety of programs for optimal results. This paper provides a guide for users to navigate a workflow across the popular software packages: cryoSPARC v3, RELION-3, and Scipion 3 to obtain a near-atomic resolution structure of the adeno-associated virus (AAV). We first detail an image processing pipeline with cryoSPARC v3, as its efficient algorithms and easy-to-use GUI allow users to quickly arrive at a 3D map. In the next step, we use PyEM and in-house scripts to convert and transfer particle coordinates from the best quality 3D reconstruction obtained in cryoSPARC v3 to RELION-3 and Scipion 3 and recalculate 3D maps. Finally, we outline steps for further refinement and validation of the resultant structures by integrating algorithms from RELION-3 and Scipion 3. In this article, we describe how to effectively utilize three processing platforms to create a single and robust workflow applicable to a variety of data sets for high-resolution structure determination.

A Robust Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy cryo-EM Processing Workflow with cryoSPARC, RELION, and Scipion

This article describes how to effectively utilize three cryo-EM processing platforms, i.e., cryoSPARC v3, RELION-3, and Scipion 3, to create a single and robust workflow applicable to a variety of single-particle data sets for high-resolution structure determination.

Recent advances in both instrumentation and image processing software have made single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) the preferred method ...

Routine Collection of High-Resolution cryo-EM Datasets Using 200 KV Transmission Electron Microscope

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has been established as a routine method for protein structure determination during the past decade, taking an ever-increasing share of published structural data. Recent advances in TEM technology and automation have boosted both the speed of data collection and quality of acquired images while simultaneously decreasing the required level of expertise for obtaining cryo-EM maps at sub-3 &#197; resolutions. While most of such high-resolution structures have been obtained using state-of-the-art 300 kV cryo-TEM systems, high-resolution structures can be also obtained with 200 kV cryo-TEM systems, especially when equipped with an energy filter. Additionally, automation of microscope alignments and data collection with real-time image quality assessment reduces system complexity and assures optimal microscope settings, resulting in increased yield of high-quality images and overall throughput of data collection. This protocol demonstrates the implementation of recent technological advances and automation features on a 200 kV cryo-transmission electron microscope and shows how to collect data for the reconstruction of 3D maps that are sufficient for de novo atomic model building. We focus on best practices, critical variables, and common issues that must be considered to enable the routine collection of such high-resolution cryo-EM datasets. Particularly the following essential topics are reviewed in detail: i) automation of microscope alignments, ii) selection of suitable areas for data acquisition, iii) optimal optical parameters for high-quality, high-throughput data collection, iv) energy filter tuning for zero-loss imaging, and v) data management and quality assessment. Application of the best practices and improvement of achievable resolution using an energy filter will be demonstrated on the example of apo-ferritin that was reconstructed to 1.6 &#197;, and Thermoplasma acidophilum 20S proteasome reconstructed to 2.1-&#197; resolution using a 200 kV TEM equipped with an energy filter and a direct electron detector.

High-resolution cryo-EM maps of macromolecules can be also achieved by using 200 kV TEM microscopes. This protocol shows the best practices for setting accurate optics alignments, data acquisition schemes, and selection of imaging areas that are all essential for the successful collection of high-resolution datasets using a 200 kV TEM.