2012 年 54 巻 5 号 p. 292-299
Deciphering structures of the multi-protein complexes is vital to understand biology. However, the large size, complexity, heterogeneity, and typically low abundance in their native sources, have often precluded successful structural analysis of the multi-protein machines. We have determined the crystal structure of the Mediator Head module (7 subunits, 223 kDa), an essential component in RNA polymerase II transcription. Our success depended on addressing series of challenges unique to structure determination of multi-protein complexes. We anticipate that our approach will serve as a paradigm for structural analysis of the eukaryotic multi-protein complexes that regulate vital cellular processes in the future.