Group members (from left to right): Carmen Terrón, Rafael Nuñez, Begoña García, Ernesto Arias,Oscar Llorca, María Angeles Recuero, Angel Rivera y Eva Torreira.

We focus our studies in the structural analysis of macromolecules and multi-protein complexes using Transmission Electron Microscopy (EM) and single-particle three dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques. We obtain both negatively stained and cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) images of single molecules which are processed to build 3D averaged reconstructions. The resolution of the 3D structures of proteins obtained from single particles ranges around 10-30Å but if atomic structures of their components or domains are known (from X-ray crystallography or NMR studies), these can be computationally fitted into the map to generate an approximate atomic model of the complex. Our group applies these methods, combined with biochemical and molecular biology, to analyse the structure-function relationships of macromolecules that are important for the biology of the cell and have some impact in human health, such as DNA repair and Rho/Rac signalling.

Figure: Electron Micrsocopy images of single molecules of the DNA repair kinase, DNA-PKcs. Its 3D reconstruction, obtained from the images from the electron microscope, is shown over imposed.