Mass-Spec, Cryo-EM and AI join forces for a close look at the transporter complex in cilia.

Journal: The EMBO journal
PMID:

Abstract

The intraflagellar transport (IFT) complex transports components between the cytoplasm and the ciliary tip. Two studies now report on the atomic structure of IFT-B, the core of IFT, using cutting-edge technology, such as cross-linking mass spectrometry (MS), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and Alphafold2-enabled AI-based folding prediction. The 3D structure of IFT-B reveals how the 15 component proteins are arranged to stabilize this gigantic complex and suggests a dynamic interplay between the proteins.

Authors

  • Takashi Ishikawa
    Department of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.