Two new 2-D crystal forms of the Escherichia coli chaperone GroEL (cpn60) 2 x 7-mer have been produced using the negative staining-carbon film (NS-CF) technique. These 2-D crystals, which contain the cylindrical GroEL in side-on and end-on orientations, both possess p21 symmetry, with two molecules in the respective unit cells. The crystallographically averaged images correlate well with those obtained by other authors from single particle analysis of GroEL and our own previous crystallographic analysis. 2-D crystallization of the smaller chaperone GroES (cpn10) 7-mer has also been achieved using the NS-CF technique. Crystallographically averaged images of GroES single particle images indicate considerable variation in molecular shape, which is most likely due to varying molecular orientation on the carbon support film. The quaternary structure of GroES does, nevertheless, approximate to a ring-like shape. The complex formed by GroEL and GroES in the presence of ATP at room temperature has been shown to possess a symmetrical hollow ellipsoidal conformation. This symmetrical complex forms in the presence of a 2:1 or greater molar ratio of GroES:GroEL. At lower molar ratios linear chains of GroEL form, apparently linked by GroES in a 1:1 manner, which provide supportive evidence for the ability of both ends of the GroEL cylinder to interact with GroES. The apparent discrepancy between our data and that of other groups who have described an asymmetrical ''bullet-shaped'' (hole-chaperone) GroEL/ES complex is discussed in detail. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.