Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2017 Oct;46:87-94. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.06.006. Epub 2017 Jul 1.
Phase plates have long been considered as a means for improving the performance of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). But practical limitations, such as a short lifespan or cumbersome usage have prevented their widespread adoption. The recently developed Volta phase plate overcomes most of the practical issues and it is now commercially available. Results from both, electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) and single particle analysis (SPA), have demonstrated the benefits of using a phase plate. In CET phase plates have helped to visualize cellular ultrastructure in unprecedented detail. In SPA phase plates allowed to determine the structures of small proteins at near-atomic resolutions. Further improvements in phase plate technology are possible and new designs are already under development.
相板长期以来一直被认为是提高冷冻电子显微镜（cryo-EM）性能的一种手段。但其实用性的局限性，如寿命短或使用不便，阻碍了它们的广泛应用。最近开发的 Volta 相板克服了大多数实际问题，现已商业化。来自电子冷冻断层扫描（cryo-ET）和单颗粒分析（SPA）的结果都证明了使用相板的好处。在 CET 中，相板有助于以前所未有的细节可视化细胞超微结构。在 SPA 中，相板允许以接近原子分辨率确定小蛋白质的结构。相板技术还有可能进一步改进，新的设计已经在开发中。
