Electron microscopical projections of the large ribosomal subunit from Thermomyces lanuginosus

Multivariate statistical analysis and hierarchical ascendant classification have been used to construct averages of two fundamental electron microscopical views of large ribosomal subunits from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus. The first was roughly pentagonal in shape and corresponded to the canonical crown view seen in images of large subunits from prokaryotic species. The second and more prevalent projection was elliptical in shape, and by matching protuberances could be interpreted as the complex rotated from the crown orientation. Because of its ubiquity and consistency, this elongated view could potentially serve as the standard for structural comparisons of the large ribosomal subunit from eukaryotic organisms, and as the basis for a three-dimensional reconstruction.