FBS Colloquia No.215JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories

Structural analysis of biological sample by CryoEM　〜mainly flagella motor〜

The flagellum is composed of about 30 proteins and acts as a rotary motor that converts the electrochemical potential of ions across the cell membrane into the mechanical work required for motor rotation. It is a very high-performance motor of which energy conversion efficiency is estimated to be almost 100% despite the fact that its rotational speed is as high as 300 revolutions per second, which is comparable to that of the engine of the F1 machine. To clarify the energy conversion mechanism, we are analyzing the structure by electron cryomicroscope (cryoEM). In this colloquium, we will introduce the structural analysis of the flagella motor by cryoEM image analysis and the result of the world's highest resolution obtained by a new cryoEM developed together with JEOL