Visualization of Intracellular Proteins and Supramolecules with Electron-Phase Microscopy

Abstract

Electron cryotomography was introduced as the most promising method to visualize proteins and supramolecules inside cells in their intact form. Current spatial resolution with the method is about 5 nm and supramolecules like ribosomes or proteasomes were identified. To extend the resolution to 1 nm for the identification of proteins, electron-phase microscopy could be introduced, by which several supramolecules had been identified for unstained ice-embedded cyanobacteria.