Localize.pytom: a modern webserver for cryo-electron tomography

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Biophysics
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Accurate localization of macromolecules in cryo-electron tomograms is crucial for understanding cellular structures.
• Existing methods require specialized software and can be computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present Localize.pytom, a user-friendly web server for macromolecule localization in cryo-electron tomograms.
• To facilitate structural analysis and the creation of molecular atlases.

Main Methods:

• The server accepts cryo-electron tomograms (CET) and utilizes a cross-correlation-based score with a reference volume.
• It offers coarse or fine angular sampling strategies and compensates for the 'Missing Wedge' artifact.
• Candidate macromolecules and their coordinates (XML format) are downloadable.

Main Results:

• Localize.pytom successfully identifies and localizes candidate macromolecules within tomograms.
• Provides downloadable densities, coordinates, and a pre-computed average of localized molecules.
• Includes a web-density viewer for further analysis.

Conclusions:

• Localize.pytom offers an accessible and efficient platform for macromolecule localization in CET data.
• It supports downstream structural analysis and the development of cellular molecular atlases.
• The web server democratizes advanced cryo-electron tomography analysis.