Structural studies of Hazelnut complex by cryo-EM

We purified a native hazelnut protein complex containing the seed storage proteins Cora9 and Cora11. Although traditionally classified as nitrogen-storage proteins, our data indicate that the components of this complex exhibit distinct enzymatic activities essential for hazelnut seed germination. Defining which protein performs each function would fundamentally revise the current paradigm. To resolve the complex’s composition and architecture, we aim to identify its individual protein constituents and determine their structures using cryo-EM.