Three vignettes exemplify the potential of combining EM and X-ray crystallographic data with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to explore the architecture, dynamics and functional properties of multicomponent macromolecular complexes. The first two describe how EM and X-ray crystallography were used to solve structures of the ribosome and the ARP2/3-actin complex, which enabled MD simulations that elucidated functional dynamics. The third describes how EM, X-ray crystallography, and microsecond MD simulations of a GPCR:G protein complex were used to explore transmembrane signaling by the β-adrenergic receptor. Recent technical advancements in EM, X-ray crystallography and computational simulation create unprecedented synergies for integrative structural biology to reveal new insights into heretofore intractable biological systems.
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