Single particle analysis in electron microscopy allows direct observation of the reconstructed three-dimensional structures of protein molecules. This method enables a more comprehensive study of membrane proteins which have been problematic in structural studies using X-ray crystallography. These membrane proteins include the voltage-sensitive ion channel proteins, which play an important rule in neural activities, and have great medical significance. The method described is supported by the development of cryo-electron microscopy and the angular reconstitution method. This review summarizes certain principles governing single particle analysis employing angular reconstitution. This method was applied to our study of the voltage-sensitive sodium channel, and the results are discussed. With improvements in resolutions and statistical analyses, the single particle technique is considered to be advantageous in studies of the structural changes and molecular interactions of protein molecules.
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