AITom: AI-guided cryo-electron tomography image analyses toolkit

Abstract

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is an essential tool in structural biology, uniquely capable of visualizing three-dimensional macromolecular complexes within their native cellular environments, thereby providing profound molecular-level insights. Despite its significant promise, cryo-ET faces persistent challenges in the systematic localization, identification, segmentation, and structural recovery of three-dimensional subcellular components, necessitating the development of efficient and accurate large-scale image analysis methods. In response to these complexities, this paper introduces AITom, an open-source artificial intelligence platform tailored for cryo-ET researchers. AITom integrates a comprehensive suite of public and proprietary algorithms, supporting both traditional template-based and template-free approaches, alongside state-of-the-art deep learning methodologies for cryo-ET data analysis. By incorporating diverse computational strategies, AITom enables researchers to more effectively tackle the complexities inherent in cryo-ET, facilitating precise analysis and interpretation of complex biological structures. Furthermore, AITom provides extensive tutorials for each analysis module, offering valuable guidance to users in utilizing its comprehensive functionalities.