Real-time correction of chromatic aberration in optical fluorescence microscopy.

Multi-color fluorescence imaging is a powerful tool for studying the spatial relationships and interactions among sub-cellular structures in biological specimens. However, if improperly corrected, geometrical distortions caused by mechanical drift, refractive index mismatch, or chromatic aberration can lead to lower image resolution. In this paper, we present an extension of the image processing framework of Scipion by integrating a protocol called OFM Corrector, which corrects geometrical distortions in real-time using a B-spline-based elastic continuous registration technique. Our proposal provides a simple strategy to overcome chromatic aberration by digitally re-aligning color channels in multi-color fluorescence microscopy images, even in 3D or time. Our method relies on a geometrical calibration, which we do with fluorescent beads excited by different wavelengths of light and subsequently registered to get the elastic warp as a reference to correct chromatic shift. Our software is freely available with a user-friendly GUI and can be broadly used for various biological imaging problems. The paper presents a valuable tool for researchers working in light microscopy facilities.

Scipion3: A workflow engine for cryo-electron microscopy image processing and structural biology.

Image-processing pipelines require the design of complex workflows combining many different steps that bring the raw acquired data to a final result with biological meaning. In the image-processing domain of cryo-electron microscopy single-particle analysis (cryo-EM SPA), hundreds of steps must be performed to obtain the three-dimensional structure of a biological macromolecule by integrating data spread over thousands of micrographs containing millions of copies of allegedly the same macromolecule. The execution of such complicated workflows demands a specific tool to keep track of all these steps performed. Additionally, due to the extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the estimation of any image parameter is heavily affected by noise resulting in a significant fraction of incorrect estimates. Although low SNR and processing millions of images by hundreds of sequential steps requiring substantial computational resources are specific to cryo-EM, these characteristics may be shared by other biological imaging domains. Here, we present Scipion, a Python generic open-source workflow engine specifically adapted for image processing. Its main characteristics are: (a) interoperability, (b) smart object model, (c) gluing operations, (d) comparison operations, (e) wide set of domain-specific operations, (f) execution in streaming, (g) smooth integration in high-performance computing environments, (h) execution with and without graphical capabilities, (i) flexible visualization, (j) user authentication and private access to private data, (k) scripting capabilities, (l) high performance, (m) traceability, (n) reproducibility, (o) self-reporting, (p) reusability, (q) extensibility, (r) software updates, and (s) non-restrictive software licensing.

Advances in Xmipp for Cryo-Electron Microscopy: From Xmipp to Scipion.

Xmipp is an open-source software package consisting of multiple programs for processing data originating from electron microscopy and electron tomography, designed and managed by the Biocomputing Unit of the Spanish National Center for Biotechnology, although with contributions from many other developers over the world. During its 25 years of existence, Xmipp underwent multiple changes and updates. While there were many publications related to new programs and functionality added to Xmipp, there is no single publication on the Xmipp as a package since 2013. In this article, we give an overview of the changes and new work since 2013, describe technologies and techniques used during the development, and take a peek at the future of the package.

3DBionotes COVID-19 edition.

SUMMARY: The web platform 3DBionotes-WS integrates multiple web services and an interactive web viewer to provide a unified environment in which biological annotations can be analyzed in their structural context. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, new structural data from many viral proteins have been provided at a very fast pace. This effort includes many cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies, together with more traditional ones (X-rays, NMR), using several modeling approaches and complemented with structural predictions. At the same time, a plethora of new genomics and interactomics information (including fragment screening and structure-based virtual screening efforts) have been made available from different servers. In this context, we have developed 3DBionotes-COVID-19 as an answer to: (i) the need to explore multiomics data in a unified context with a special focus on structural information and (ii) the drive to incorporate quality measurements, especially in the form of advanced validation metrics for cryo-EM. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://3dbionotes.cnb.csic.es/ws/covid19. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Image Processing in Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Single Particles: The Power of Combining Methods.

Cryo-electron microscopy has established as a mature structural biology technique to elucidate the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. The Coulomb potential of the sample is imaged by an electron beam, and fast semi-conductor detectors produce movies of the sample under study. These movies have to be further processed by a whole pipeline of image-processing algorithms that produce the final structure of the macromolecule. In this chapter, we illustrate this whole processing pipeline putting in value the strength of "meta algorithms," which are the combination of several algorithms, each one with different mathematical rationale, in order to distinguish correctly from incorrectly estimated parameters. We show how this strategy leads to superior performance of the whole pipeline as well as more confident assessments about the reconstructed structures. The "meta algorithms" strategy is common to many fields and, in particular, it has provided excellent results in bioinformatics. We illustrate this combination using the workflow engine, Scipion.

FSC-Q: a CryoEM map-to-atomic model quality validation based on the local Fourier shell correlation.

In recent years, advances in cryoEM have dramatically increased the resolution of reconstructions and, with it, the number of solved atomic models. It is widely accepted that the quality of cryoEM maps varies locally; therefore, the evaluation of the maps-derived structural models must be done locally as well. In this article, a method for the local analysis of the map-to-model fit is presented. The algorithm uses a comparison of two local resolution maps. The first is the local FSC (Fourier shell correlation) between the full map and the model, while the second is calculated between the half maps normally used in typical single particle analysis workflows. We call the quality measure "FSC-Q", and it is a quantitative estimation of how much of the model is supported by the signal content of the map. Furthermore, we show that FSC-Q may be helpful to detect overfitting. It can be used to complement other methods, such as the Q-score method that estimates the resolvability of atoms.

Continuous flexibility analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike prefusion structures.

Using a new consensus-based image-processing approach together with principal component analysis, the flexibility and conformational dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike in the prefusion state have been analysed. These studies revealed concerted motions involving the receptor-binding domain (RBD), N-terminal domain, and subdomains 1 and 2 around the previously characterized 1-RBD-up state, which have been modeled as elastic deformations. It is shown that in this data set there are not well defined, stable spike conformations, but virtually a continuum of states. An ensemble map was obtained with minimum bias, from which the extremes of the change along the direction of maximal variance were modeled by flexible fitting. The results provide a warning of the potential image-processing classification instability of these complicated data sets, which has a direct impact on the interpretability of the results.

Continuous flexibility analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike prefusion structures.

With the help of novel processing workflows and algorithms, we have obtained a better understanding of the flexibility and conformational dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike in the prefusion state. We have re-analyzed previous cryo-EM data combining 3D clustering approaches with ways to explore a continuous flexibility space based on 3D Principal Component Analysis. These advanced analyses revealed a concerted motion involving the receptor-binding domain (RBD), N-terminal domain (NTD), and subdomain 1 and 2 (SD1 & SD2) around the previously characterized 1-RBD-up state, which have been modeled as elastic deformations. We show that in this dataset there are not well-defined, stable, spike conformations, but virtually a continuum of states moving in a concerted fashion. We obtained an improved resolution ensemble map with minimum bias, from which we model by flexible fitting the extremes of the change along the direction of maximal variance. Moreover, a high-resolution structure of a recently described biochemically stabilized form of the spike is shown to greatly reduce the dynamics observed for the wild-type spike. Our results provide new detailed avenues to potentially restrain the spike dynamics for structure-based drug and vaccine design and at the same time give a warning of the potential image processing classification instability of these complicated datasets, having a direct impact on the interpretability of the results.

Automatic local resolution-based sharpening of cryo-EM maps.

MOTIVATION: Recent technological advances and computational developments have allowed the reconstruction of Cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) maps at near-atomic resolution. On a typical workflow and once the cryo-EM map has been calculated, a sharpening process is usually performed to enhance map visualization, a step that has proven very important in the key task of structural modeling. However, sharpening approaches, in general, neglects the local quality of the map, which is clearly suboptimal. RESULTS: Here, a new method for local sharpening of cryo-EM density maps is proposed. The algorithm, named LocalDeblur, is based on a local resolution-guided Wiener restoration approach of the original map. The method is fully automatic and, from the user point of view, virtually parameter-free, without requiring either a starting model or introducing any additional structure factor correction or boosting. Results clearly show a significant impact on map interpretability, greatly helping modeling. In particular, this local sharpening approach is especially suitable for maps that present a broad resolution range, as is often the case for membrane proteins or macromolecules with high flexibility, all of them otherwise very suitable and interesting specimens for cryo-EM. To our knowledge, and leaving out the use of local filters, it represents the first application of local resolution in cryo-EM sharpening. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The source code (LocalDeblur) can be found at https://github.com/I2PC/xmipp and can be run using Scipion (http://scipion.cnb.csic.es) (release numbers greater than or equal 1.2.1). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

DeepRes: a new deep-learning- and aspect-based local resolution method for electron-microscopy maps.

In this article, a method is presented to estimate a new local quality measure for 3D cryoEM maps that adopts the form of a 'local resolution' type of information. The algorithm (DeepRes) is based on deep-learning 3D feature detection. DeepRes is fully automatic and parameter-free, and avoids the issues of most current methods, such as their insensitivity to enhancements owing to B-factor sharpening (unless the 3D mask is changed), among others, which is an issue that has been virtually neglected in the cryoEM field until now. In this way, DeepRes can be applied to any map, detecting subtle changes in local quality after applying enhancement processes such as isotropic filters or substantially more complex procedures, such as model-based local sharpening, non-model-based methods or denoising, that may be very difficult to follow using current methods. It performs as a human observer expects. The comparison with traditional local resolution indicators is also addressed.

West-Life: A Virtual Research Environment for structural biology.

The West-Life project (https://about.west-life.eu/) is a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission to provide data processing and data management services for the international community of structural biologists, and in particular to support integrative experimental approaches within the field of structural biology. It has developed enhancements to existing web services for structure solution and analysis, created new pipelines to link these services into more complex higher-level workflows, and added new data management facilities. Through this work it has striven to make the benefits of European e-Infrastructures more accessible to life-science researchers in general and structural biologists in particular.

Validation of electron microscopy initial models via small angle X-ray scattering curves.

MOTIVATION: Cryo electron microscopy (EM) is currently one of the main tools to reveal the structural information of biological macromolecules. The re-construction of three-dimensional (3D) maps is typically carried out following an iterative process that requires an initial estimation of the 3D map to be refined in subsequent steps. Therefore, its determination is key in the quality of the final results, and there are cases in which it is still an open issue in single particle analysis (SPA). Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a well-known technique applied to structural biology. It is useful from small nanostructures up to macromolecular ensembles for its ability to obtain low resolution information of the biological sample measuring its X-ray scattering curve. These curves, together with further analysis, are able to yield information on the sizes, shapes and structures of the analyzed particles. RESULTS: In this paper, we show how the low resolution structural information revealed by SAXS is very useful for the validation of EM initial 3D models in SPA, helping the following refinement process to obtain more accurate 3D structures. For this purpose, we approximate the initial map by pseudo-atoms and predict the SAXS curve expected for this pseudo-atomic structure. The match between the predicted and experimental SAXS curves is considered as a good sign of the correctness of the EM initial map. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The algorithm is freely available as part of the Scipion 1.2 software at http://scipion.i2pc.es/.

MonoRes: Automatic and Accurate Estimation of Local Resolution for Electron Microscopy Maps.

Since the beginning of electron microscopy, resolution has been a critical parameter. In this article, we propose a fully automatic, accurate method for determining the local resolution of a 3D map (MonoRes). The foundation of this algorithm is an extension of the concept of analytic signal, termed monogenic signal. The map is filtered at different frequencies and the amplitude of the monogenic signal is calculated, after which a criterion is applied to determine the resolution at each voxel. MonoRes is fully automatic without compulsory user parameters, with great accuracy in all tests, and is computationally more rapid than existing methods in the field. In addition, MonoRes offers the option of local filtering of the original map based on the calculated local resolution.

Automated assembly of species metabolomes through data submission into a public repository.

Following similar global efforts to exchange genomic and other biomedical data, global databases in metabolomics have now been established. MetaboLights, the first general purpose, publically available, cross-species, cross-application database in metabolomics, has become the fastest growing data repository at the European Bioinformatics Institute in terms of data volume. Here we present the automated assembly of species metabolomes in MetaboLights, a crucial reference for chemical biology, which is growing through user submissions.

MetaboLights: An Open-Access Database Repository for Metabolomics Data.

MetaboLights is the first general purpose, open-access database repository for cross-platform and cross-species metabolomics research at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). Based upon the open-source ISA framework, MetaboLights provides Metabolomics Standard Initiative (MSI) compliant metadata and raw experimental data associated with metabolomics experiments. Users can upload their study datasets into the MetaboLights Repository. These studies are then automatically assigned a stable and unique identifier (e.g., MTBLS1) that can be used for publication reference. The MetaboLights Reference Layer associates metabolites with metabolomics studies in the archive and is extensively annotated with data fields such as structural and chemical information, NMR and MS spectra, target species, metabolic pathways, and reactions. The database is manually curated with no specific release schedules. MetaboLights is also recommended by journals for metabolomics data deposition. This unit provides a guide to using MetaboLights, downloading experimental data, and depositing metabolomics datasets using user-friendly submission tools.

COordination of Standards in MetabOlomicS (COSMOS): facilitating integrated metabolomics data access.

Metabolomics has become a crucial phenotyping technique in a range of research fields including medicine, the life sciences, biotechnology and the environmental sciences. This necessitates the transfer of experimental information between research groups, as well as potentially to publishers and funders. After the initial efforts of the metabolomics standards initiative, minimum reporting standards were proposed which included the concepts for metabolomics databases. Built by the community, standards and infrastructure for metabolomics are still needed to allow storage, exchange, comparison and re-utilization of metabolomics data. The Framework Programme 7 EU Initiative 'coordination of standards in metabolomics' (COSMOS) is developing a robust data infrastructure and exchange standards for metabolomics data and metadata. This is to support workflows for a broad range of metabolomics applications within the European metabolomics community and the wider metabolomics and biomedical communities' participation. Here we announce our concepts and efforts asking for re-engagement of the metabolomics community, academics and industry, journal publishers, software and hardware vendors, as well as those interested in standardisation worldwide (addressing missing metabolomics ontologies, complex-metadata capturing and XML based open source data exchange format), to join and work towards updating and implementing metabolomics standards.

SpeckTackle: JavaScript charts for spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Spectra visualisation from methods such as mass spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance is an essential part of every web-facing spectral resource. The development of an intuitive and versatile visualisation tool is a time- and resource-intensive task, however, most databases use their own embedded viewers and new databases continue to develop their own viewers. RESULTS: We present SpeckTackle, a custom-tailored JavaScript charting library for spectroscopy in life sciences. SpeckTackle is cross-browser compatible and easy to integrate into existing resources, as we demonstrate for the MetaboLights database. Its default chart types cover common visualisation tasks following the de facto 'look and feel' standards for spectra visualisation. CONCLUSIONS: SpeckTackle is released under GNU LGPL to encourage uptake and reuse within the community. The latest version of the library including examples and documentation on how to use and extend the library with additional chart types is available online in its public repository.

Impacto de CYP2C19*2 en la reactividad plaquetar en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo tratados con clopidogrel / Relevance of CYP2C19*2 regarding platelet reactivity in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with clopidogrel

Fundamento y objetivo: El valor de los polimorfismos PON1-Q192R, CYP2C19*2 y *17 en la identificación del paciente pobre respondedor a clopidogrel es controvertido. Evaluamos la relación de los polimorfismos señalados con la reactividad plaquetar y el pronóstico a medio plazo en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo remitidos para cateterismo cardíaco. Pacientes y método: Se incluyeron prospectivamente 247 pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo. En todos se dispuso del genotipo (CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*17, PON1-Q192R). Medimos la reactividad plaquetar con VerifyNow®. Se registraron episodios adversos intrahospitalarios (muerte, infarto periprocedimiento) y durante el seguimiento (muerte, infarto de miocardio, angina, accidente cerebrovascular, trombosis del stent). Resultados: Los portadores de alelos *2 de CYP2C19 presentaron una mayor reactividad plaquetar residual (PRU, media [DE] de 252 [76] frente a 287 [74], p = 0,002). Los portadores de alelos *17 de CYP2C19*17 o de alelos T(Q) de PON1-Q192R no presentaron una reactividad distinta (p > 0,05). En un modelo multivariado para la predicción de pobre respuesta a clopidogrel, la contribución de CYP2C19*2 fue modesta (Wald = 7,5; odds ratio [OR] para ≥ 1 alelo *2 = 2.786, intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC 95%] 1.337-5.808). Fueron factores protectores independientes la hemoglobina basal (OR 0,666, IC 95% 0,555-0,801) y el uso concomitante de estatinas (OR 0,376, IC 95% 0,162-0,873). El índice de masa corporal fue un factor de riesgo (OR 1.074, IC 95% 1.005-1.148). Los polimorfismos estudiados no predijeron episodios adversos. Conclusiones: El polimorfismo de CYP2C19*2 influyó en la respuesta a clopidogrel de forma modesta, pero no condicionó un pronóstico distinto en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo. Los polimorfismos de PON1-Q192R y CYP2C19*17 no influyeron en la reactividad plaquetar ni el pronóstico (AU)

Background and objective: Previous studies have shown that the metabolism of P2Y12 receptor blockers is influenced not only by CYP2C19*2 but also by PON1-Q192R alelles. We aimed to evaluate the impact of CYP2C19*2 and PON1-Q192R polymorphisms carriage in platelet reactivity and clinical outcome in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization. Patients and method: We recruited prospectively patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing cardiac catheterization (n = 247). We evaluated the genotype (CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*17, PON1-Q192R) with TaqMan1 assay and platelet aggregometry in all patients. We assessed both in and out-of-hospital events (unstable angina, periprocedural and spontaneous myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction, all-cause death, stent thrombosis and stroke) during follow-up. Results: Carriers of CYP2C19*2 alleles showed a significant higher residual platelet reactivity (PRU, mean [SD], 252 [76] vs. 287 [74], P = .002). Carriers of PON1-Q192R CT(RQ) and TT(QQ) alleles and CYP2C19*17 did not present a different response to clopidogrel. In a multivariable setting for the prediction of platelet reactivity, the contribution of CYP2C19*2 was modest (Wald = 7.5; odds ratio [OR] for 1 alelle *2 = 2,786, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1,337-5,808). Independent predictors were baseline hemoglobin levels (g/dL, OR .666, 95% CI .555-.801) and the use of statins (OR .376, 95% CI .162-.873). Body mass index was a risk factor (OR 1,074, CI 95% 1,005-1,148). Studied polymorphisms did not predict an adverse outcome (AU)

[Relevance of CYP2C19 2 regarding platelet reactivity in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with clopidogrel]. / Impacto de CYP2C19 2 en la reactividad plaquetar en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo tratados con clopidogrel.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that the metabolism of P2Y12 receptor blockers is influenced not only by CYP2C19 2 but also by PON1-Q192R alelles. We aimed to evaluate the impact of CYP2C19 2 and PON1-Q192R polymorphisms carriage in platelet reactivity and clinical outcome in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We recruited prospectively patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing cardiac catheterization (n=247). We evaluated the genotype (CYP2C19 2, CYP2C19 17, PON1-Q192R) with TaqMan(®) assay and platelet aggregometry in all patients. We assessed both in and out-of-hospital events (unstable angina, periprocedural and spontaneous myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction, all-cause death, stent thrombosis and stroke) during follow-up. RESULTS: Carriers of CYP2C19 2 alleles showed a significant higher residual platelet reactivity (PRU, mean [SD], 252 [76] vs. 287 [74], P=.002). Carriers of PON1-Q192R CT(RQ) and TT(QQ) alleles and CYP2C19 17 did not present a different response to clopidogrel. In a multivariable setting for the prediction of platelet reactivity, the contribution of CYP2C19 2 was modest (Wald=7.5; odds ratio [OR] for ≥ 1 alelle 2=2,786, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1,337-5,808). Independent predictors were baseline hemoglobin levels (g/dL, OR .666, 95% CI .555-.801) and the use of statins (OR .376, 95% CI .162-.873). Body mass index was a risk factor (OR 1,074, CI 95% 1,005-1,148). Studied polymorphisms did not predict an adverse outcome. CONCLUSIONS: CYP2C19 2 polymorphism influenced moderately platelet reactivity but did not show an impact on clinical outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Neither CYP2C19 17 nor PON1-Q192R polymorphisms showed an impact upon platelet reactivity or outcome.

The MetaboLights repository: curation challenges in metabolomics.

MetaboLights is the first general-purpose open-access curated repository for metabolomic studies, their raw experimental data and associated metadata, maintained by one of the major open-access data providers in molecular biology. Increases in the number of depositions, number of samples per study and the file size of data submitted to MetaboLights present a challenge for the objective of ensuring high-quality and standardized data in the context of diverse metabolomic workflows and data representations. Here, we describe the MetaboLights curation pipeline, its challenges and its practical application in quality control of complex data depositions. Database URL: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights.