Cryo_fit: Democratization of flexible fitting for cryo-EM

J Struct Biol. 2019 Oct 1;208(1):1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.05.012. Epub 2019 Jul 3.

Abstract

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is becoming a method of choice for describing native conformations of biomolecular complexes at high resolution. The rapid growth of cryo-EM in recent years has created a high demand for automated solutions, both in hardware and software. Flexible fitting of atomic models to three-dimensional (3D) cryo-EM reconstructions by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a popular technique but often requires technical expertise in computer simulation. This work introduces cryo_fit, a package for the automatic flexible fitting of atomic models in cryo-EM maps using MD simulation. The package is integrated with the Phenix software suite. The module was designed to automate the multiple steps of MD simulation in a reproducible manner, as well as facilitate refinement and validation through Phenix. Through the use of cryo_fit, scientists with little experience in MD simulation can produce high quality atomic models automatically and better exploit the potential of cryo-EM.

Keywords: Correlation coefficient; Cryo-EM; Flexible fitting; Molecular dynamics; Phenix.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cryoelectron Microscopy / methods*
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Conformation
  • Software*