EMD-45367

Subtomogram averaging
8.5 Å
EMD-45367 Deposition: 14/06/2024
Map released: 13/11/2024
Last modified: 25/12/2024
Overview 3D View Sample Experiment Validation Volume Browser Additional data Links
Overview 3D View Sample Experiment Validation Volume Browser Additional data Links

EMD-45367

M. hungatei SLP hexamer in curved conformation (C2)

EMD-45367

Subtomogram averaging
8.5 Å
EMD-45367 Deposition: 14/06/2024
Map released: 13/11/2024
Last modified: 25/12/2024
Overview 3D View Sample Experiment Validation Volume Browser Additional data Links
Sample Organism: Methanospirillum hungatei JF-1
Sample: Methanospirillum hungatei strain JF1 cells

Deposition Authors: Wang H , Zhang J , Liao S , Zhou ZH , Gunsalus RP
Composition and in situ structure of the Methanospirillum hungatei cell envelope and surface layer.
Wang H , Zhang J , Liao S , Henstra AM , Leon D , Erde J, Loo JA , Ogorzalek Loo RR , Zhou ZH , Gunsalus RP
(2024) Sci Adv , 10 , eadr8596 - eadr8596
PUBMED: 39671499
DOI: doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr8596
ISSN: 2375-2548
Abstract:
Archaea share genomic similarities with Eukarya and cellular architectural similarities with Bacteria, though archaeal and bacterial surface layers (S-layers) differ. Using cellular cryo-electron tomography, we visualized the S-layer lattice surrounding Methanospirillum hungatei, a methanogenic archaeon. Though more compact than known structures, M. hungatei's S-layer is a flexible hexagonal lattice of dome-shaped tiles, uniformly spaced from both the overlying cell sheath and the underlying cell membrane. Subtomogram averaging resolved the S-layer hexamer tile at 6.4-angstrom resolution. By fitting an AlphaFold model into hexamer tiles in flat and curved conformations, we uncover intra- and intertile interactions that contribute to the S-layer's cylindrical and flexible architecture, along with a spacer extension for cell membrane attachment. M. hungatei cell's end plug structure, likely composed of S-layer isoforms, further highlights the uniqueness of this archaeal cell. These structural features offer advantages for methane release and reflect divergent evolutionary adaptations to environmental pressures during early microbial emergence.