1
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Nam KH. Guide to serial synchrotron crystallography. Curr Res Struct Biol 2024; 7:100131. [PMID: 38371325 PMCID: PMC10869752 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2024.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) is an emerging technique that can be used to determine the noncryogenic crystal structure of macromolecules while minimizing radiation damage. Applying SX using pump-probe or mix-and-inject techniques enables the observation of time-resolved molecular reactions and dynamics in macromolecules. After the successful demonstration of the SX experimental technique with structure determination in serial femtosecond crystallography using an X-ray free electron laser, this method was adapted to the synchrotron, leading to the development of serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX). SSX offers new opportunities for researchers to leverage SX techniques, contributing to the advancement of structural biology and offering a deeper understanding of the structure and function of macromolecules. This review covers the background and advantages of SSX and its experimental approach. It also discusses important considerations when conducting SSX experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Nam
- College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul, 02707, Republic of Korea
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2
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Paulson L, Narayanasamy SR, Shelby ML, Frank M, Trebbin M. Advanced manufacturing provides tailor-made solutions for crystallography with x-ray free-electron lasers. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:011101. [PMID: 38389979 PMCID: PMC10883715 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Serial crystallography at large facilities, such as x-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons, evolved as a powerful method for the high-resolution structural investigation of proteins that are critical for human health, thus advancing drug discovery and novel therapies. However, a critical barrier to successful serial crystallography experiments lies in the efficient handling of the protein microcrystals and solutions at microscales. Microfluidics are the obvious approach for any high-throughput, nano-to-microliter sample handling, that also requires design flexibility and rapid prototyping to deal with the variable shapes, sizes, and density of crystals. Here, we discuss recent advances in polymer 3D printing for microfluidics-based serial crystallography research and present a demonstration of emerging, large-scale, nano-3D printing approaches leading into the future of 3D sample environment and delivery device fabrication from liquid jet gas-dynamic virtual nozzles devices to fixed-target sample environment technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Paulson
- Department of Chemistry & Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water (RENEW), The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
| | - Sankar Raju Narayanasamy
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Megan L. Shelby
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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3
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Gu KK, Liu Z, Narayanasamy SR, Shelby ML, Chan N, Coleman MA, Frank M, Kuhl TL. All polymer microfluidic chips-A fixed target sample delivery workhorse for serial crystallography. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:051302. [PMID: 37840537 PMCID: PMC10576627 DOI: 10.1063/5.0167164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The development of x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) light sources and serial crystallography methodologies has led to a revolution in protein crystallography, enabling the determination of previously unobtainable protein structures and near-atomic resolution of otherwise poorly diffracting protein crystals. However, to utilize XFEL sources efficiently demands the continuous, rapid delivery of a large number of difficult-to-handle microcrystals to the x-ray beam. A recently developed fixed-target system, in which crystals of interest are enclosed within a sample holder, which is rastered through the x-ray beam, is discussed in detail in this Perspective. The fixed target is easy to use, maintains sample hydration, and can be readily modified to allow a broad range of sample types and different beamline requirements. Recent innovations demonstrate the potential of such microfluidic-based fixed targets to be an all-around "workhorse" for serial crystallography measurements. This Perspective will summarize recent advancements in microfluidic fixed targets for serial crystallography, examine needs for future development, and guide users in designing, choosing, and utilizing a fixed-target sample delivery device for their system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K. Gu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Zhongrui Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Sankar Raju Narayanasamy
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Megan L. Shelby
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Nicholas Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | | | | | - Tonya L. Kuhl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
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4
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Besaw JE, Miller RJD. Addressing high excitation conditions in time-resolved X-ray diffraction experiments and issues of biological relevance. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 81:102624. [PMID: 37331203 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important fundamental questions connecting chemistry to biology is how chemistry scales in complexity up to biological systems where there are innumerable possible pathways and competing processes. With the development of ultrabright electron and x-ray sources, it has been possible to literally light up atomic motions to directly observe the reduction in dimensionality in the barrier crossing region to a few key reaction modes. How do these chemical processes further couple to the surrounding protein or macromolecular assembly to drive biological functions? Optical methods to trigger photoactive biological processes are needed to probe this issue on the relevant timescales. However, the excitation conditions have been in the highly nonlinear regime, which questions the biological relevance of the observed structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Besaw
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - R J Dwayne Miller
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada.
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5
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Zhao FZ, Wang ZJ, Xiao QJ, Yu L, Sun B, Hou Q, Chen LL, Liang H, Wu H, Guo WH, He JH, Wang QS, Yin DC. Microfluidic rotating-target device capable of three-degrees-of-freedom motion for efficient in situ serial synchrotron crystallography. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2023; 30:347-358. [PMID: 36891848 PMCID: PMC10000801 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577523000462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing demand for simple and efficient sample delivery technology to match the rapid development of serial crystallography and its wide application in analyzing the structural dynamics of biological macromolecules. Here, a microfluidic rotating-target device is presented, capable of three-degrees-of-freedom motion, including two rotational degrees of freedom and one translational degree of freedom, for sample delivery. Lysozyme crystals were used as a test model with this device to collect serial synchrotron crystallography data and the device was found to be convenient and useful. This device enables in situ diffraction from crystals in a microfluidic channel without the need for crystal harvesting. The circular motion ensures that the delivery speed can be adjusted over a wide range, showing its good compatibility with different light sources. Moreover, the three-degrees-of-freedom motion guarantees the full utilization of crystals. Hence, sample consumption is greatly reduced, and only 0.1 mg of protein is consumed in collecting a complete dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Zhu Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
- School of NCO, Army Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050081, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Jun Wang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing-Jie Xiao
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Sun
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Hou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang-Liang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huan Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hai Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei-Hong Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian-Hua He
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi-Sheng Wang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
| | - Da-Chuan Yin
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China
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6
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Thorne RE. Determining biomolecular structures near room temperature using X-ray crystallography: concepts, methods and future optimization. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2023; 79:78-94. [PMID: 36601809 PMCID: PMC9815097 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322011652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
For roughly two decades, cryocrystallography has been the overwhelmingly dominant method for determining high-resolution biomolecular structures. Competition from single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and micro-electron diffraction, increased interest in functionally relevant information that may be missing or corrupted in structures determined at cryogenic temperature, and interest in time-resolved studies of the biomolecular response to chemical and optical stimuli have driven renewed interest in data collection at room temperature and, more generally, at temperatures from the protein-solvent glass transition near 200 K to ∼350 K. Fischer has recently reviewed practical methods for room-temperature data collection and analysis [Fischer (2021), Q. Rev. Biophys. 54, e1]. Here, the key advantages and physical principles of, and methods for, crystallographic data collection at noncryogenic temperatures and some factors relevant to interpreting the resulting data are discussed. For room-temperature data collection to realize its potential within the structural biology toolkit, streamlined and standardized methods for delivering crystals prepared in the home laboratory to the synchrotron and for automated handling and data collection, similar to those for cryocrystallography, should be implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E. Thorne
- Physics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- MiTeGen LLC, PO Box 3867, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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7
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Milano SK, Szebenyi MD, Cerione ARA. Serial Room Temperature Crystal Loading, Data Collection, and Data Processing of Human Glutaminase C in Complex with Allosteric Inhibitors. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4509. [PMID: 36248609 PMCID: PMC9516223 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells often overexpress glutaminase enzymes, in particular glutaminase C (GAC). GAC resides in the mitochondria and catalyzes the hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate. High levels of GAC have been observed in aggressive cancers and the inhibition of its enzymatic activity has been shown to reduce their growth and survival. Numerous GAC inhibitors have been reported, the most heavily investigated being a class of compounds derived from the small molecule BPTES (bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)ethyl sulfide). X-ray structure determination under cryo-cooled conditions showed that the binding contacts for the different inhibitors were largely conserved despite their varying potencies. However, using the emerging technique serial room temperature crystallography, we were able to observe clear differences between the binding conformations of inhibitors. Here, we describe a step-by-step protocol for crystal handling, data collection, and data processing of GAC in complex with allosteric inhibitors using serial room temperature crystallography. Graphical abstract: Figure 1. Workflow for serial room temperature crystallography. Diagram showing the processing and scaling routine for crystals analyzed using serial room temperature crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn K. Milano
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
,
*For correspondence:
;
| | - Marian D. Szebenyi
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - And Richard A. Cerione
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
,
*For correspondence:
;
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8
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Schneps CM, Ganguly A, Crane BR. Room-temperature serial synchrotron crystallography of Drosophila cryptochrome. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:975-985. [PMID: 35916222 PMCID: PMC9344480 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322007008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Fixed-target serial crystallography allows the high-throughput collection of diffraction data from small crystals at room temperature. This methodology is particularly useful for difficult samples that have sensitivity to radiation damage or intolerance to cryoprotection measures; fixed-target methods also have the added benefit of low sample consumption. Here, this method is applied to the structure determination of the circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome (CRY), previous structures of which have been determined at cryogenic temperature. In determining the structure, several data-filtering strategies were tested for combining observations from the hundreds of crystals that contributed to the final data set. Removing data sets based on the average correlation coefficient among equivalent reflection intensities between a given data set and all others was most effective at improving the data quality and maintaining overall completeness. CRYs are light sensors that undergo conformational photoactivation. Comparisons between the cryogenic and room-temperature CRY structures reveal regions of enhanced mobility at room temperature in loops that have functional importance within the CRY family of proteins. The B factors of the room-temperature structure correlate well with those predicted from molecular-dynamics simulations.
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9
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Nam KH. Beef tallow injection matrix for serial crystallography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:694. [PMID: 35027663 PMCID: PMC8758675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04714-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) enables the visualization of the time-resolved molecular dynamics of macromolecular structures at room temperature while minimizing radiation damage. In SX experiments, the delivery of a large number of crystals into an X-ray interaction point in a serial and stable manner is key. Sample delivery using viscous medium maintains the stable injection stream at low flow rates, markedly reducing sample consumption compared with that of a liquid jet injector and is widely applied in SX experiments with low repetition rates. As the sample properties and experimental environment can affect the stability of the injection stream of a viscous medium, it is important to develop sample delivery media with various characteristics to optimize the experimental environment. In this study, a beef tallow injection matrix possessing a higher melting temperature than previously reported fat-based shortening and lard media was introduced as a sample delivery medium and applied to SX. Beef tallow was prepared by heat treating fats from cattle, followed by the removal of soluble impurities from the extract by phase separation. Beef tallow exhibited a very stable injection stream at room temperature and a flow rate of < 10 nL/min. The room-temperature structures of lysozyme and glucose isomerase embedded in beef tallow were successfully determined at 1.55 and 1.60 Å, respectively. The background scattering of beef tallow was higher than that of previously reported fat-based shortening and lard media but negligible for data processing. In conclusion, the beef tallow matrix can be employed for sample delivery in SX experiments conducted at temperatures exceeding room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Nam
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Korea. .,POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Korea.
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10
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Milano SK, Huang Q, Nguyen TTT, Ramachandran S, Finke A, Kriksunov I, Schuller D, Szebenyi M, Arenholz E, McDermott LA, Sukumar N, Cerione RA, Katt WP. New insights into the molecular mechanisms of glutaminase C inhibitors in cancer cells using serial room temperature crystallography. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101535. [PMID: 34954143 PMCID: PMC8784640 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells frequently exhibit uncoupling of the glycolytic pathway from the TCA cycle (i.e. the "Warburg effect"), and as a result, often become dependent on their ability to increase glutamine catabolism. The mitochondrial enzyme Glutaminase C (GAC) helps to satisfy this 'glutamine addiction' of cancer cells by catalyzing the hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate, which is then converted to the TCA-cycle intermediate α-ketoglutarate. This makes GAC an intriguing drug target, and spurred the molecules derived from bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)ethyl sulfide (the so-called BPTES-class of allosteric GAC inhibitors), including CB-839, which is currently in clinal trials. However, none of the drugs targeting GAC are yet approved for cancer treatment and their mechanism of action is not well understood. Here, we shed new light on the underlying basis for the differential potencies exhibited by members of the BPTES/CB-839 family of compounds, which could not previously be explained with standard cryo-cooled X-ray crystal structures of GAC bound to CB-839 or its analogs. Using an emerging technique known as serial room temperature crystallography, we were able to observe clear differences between the binding conformations of inhibitors with significantly different potencies. We also developed a computational model to further elucidate the molecular basis of differential inhibitor potency. We then corroborated the results from our modeling efforts using recently established fluorescence assays that directly read out inhibitor binding to GAC. Together, these findings should aid in future design of more potent GAC inhibitors with better clinical outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn K Milano
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Qingqiu Huang
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Thuy-Tien T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Sekar Ramachandran
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Aaron Finke
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Irina Kriksunov
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - David Schuller
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Marian Szebenyi
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Elke Arenholz
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Lee A McDermott
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States; Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - N Sukumar
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Informatics, Shiv Nadar University, India
| | - Richard A Cerione
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.
| | - William P Katt
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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11
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Gilbile D, Shelby ML, Lyubimov AY, Wierman JL, Monteiro DCF, Cohen AE, Russi S, Coleman MA, Frank M, Kuhl TL. Plug-and-play polymer microfluidic chips for hydrated, room temperature, fixed-target serial crystallography. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4831-4845. [PMID: 34821226 PMCID: PMC8915944 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00810b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The practice of serial X-ray crystallography (SX) depends on efficient, continuous delivery of hydrated protein crystals while minimizing background scattering. Of the two major types of sample delivery devices, fixed-target devices offer several advantages over widely adopted jet injectors, including: lower sample consumption, clog-free delivery, and the ability to control on-chip crystal density to improve hit rates. Here we present our development of versatile, inexpensive, and robust polymer microfluidic chips for routine and reliable room temperature serial measurements at both synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs). Our design includes highly X-ray-transparent enclosing thin film layers tuned to minimize scatter background, adaptable sample flow layers tuned to match crystal size, and a large sample area compatible with both raster scanning and rotation based serial data collection. The optically transparent chips can be used both for in situ protein crystallization (to eliminate crystal handling) or crystal slurry loading, with prepared samples stable for weeks in a humidified environment and for several hours in ambient conditions. Serial oscillation crystallography, using a multi-crystal rotational data collection approach, at a microfocus synchrotron beamline (SSRL, beamline 12-1) was used to benchmark the performance of the chips. High-resolution structures (1.3-2.7 Å) were collected from five different proteins - hen egg white lysozyme, thaumatin, bovine liver catalase, concanavalin-A (type VI), and SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein NSP5. Overall, our modular fabrication approach enables precise control over the cross-section of materials in the X-ray beam path and facilitates chip adaption to different sample and beamline requirements for user-friendly, straightforward diffraction measurements at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepshika Gilbile
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Megan L Shelby
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Artem Y Lyubimov
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | | | - Diana C F Monteiro
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 700 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, New York 14203, USA
| | - Aina E Cohen
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Silvia Russi
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Matthew A Coleman
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Matthias Frank
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Tonya L Kuhl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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12
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Gruene T, Mugnaioli E. 3D Electron Diffraction for Chemical Analysis: Instrumentation Developments and Innovative Applications. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11823-11834. [PMID: 34533919 PMCID: PMC8517952 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In the past few years, many exciting papers reported results based on crystal structure determination by electron diffraction. The aim of this review is to provide general and practical information to structural chemists interested in stepping into this emerging field. We discuss technical characteristics of electron microscopes for research units that would like to acquire their own instrumentation, as well as those practical aspects that appear different between X-ray and electron crystallography. We also include a discussion about applications where electron crystallography provides information that is different, and possibly complementary, with respect to what is available from X-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Gruene
- University
of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry,
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Enrico Mugnaioli
- Center
for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza S. Silvestro 12, IT-56127 Pisa, Italy
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13
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Gu DH, Eo C, Hwangbo SA, Ha SC, Kim JH, Kim H, Lee CS, Seo ID, Yun YD, Lee W, Choi H, Kim J, Lim J, Rah S, Kim JS, Lee JO, Kim YG, Park SY. BL-11C Micro-MX: a high-flux microfocus macromolecular-crystallography beamline for micrometre-sized protein crystals at Pohang Light Source II. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2021; 28:1210-1215. [PMID: 34212886 PMCID: PMC8284399 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577521004355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BL-11C, a new protein crystallography beamline, is an in-vacuum undulator-based microfocus beamline used for macromolecular crystallography at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory and it was made available to users in June 2017. The beamline is energy tunable in the range 5.0-20 keV to support conventional single- and multi-wavelength anomalous-dispersion experiments against a wide range of heavy metals. At the standard working energy of 12.659 keV, the monochromated beam is focused to 4.1 µm (V) × 8.5 µm (H) full width at half-maximum at the sample position and the measured photon flux is 1.3 × 1012 photons s-1. The experimental station is equipped with a Pilatus3 6M detector, a micro-diffractometer (MD2S) incorporating a multi-axis goniometer, and a robotic sample exchanger (CATS) with a dewar capacity of 90 samples. This beamline is suitable for structural determination of weakly diffracting crystalline substances, such as biomaterials, including protein, nucleic acids and their complexes. In addition, serial crystallography experiments for determining crystal structures at room temperature are possible. Herein, the current beamline characteristics, technical information for users and some recent scientific highlights are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Heon Gu
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolsoo Eo
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-A Hwangbo
- Institute of Membrane Proteins, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Chul Ha
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hong Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoyun Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Chae-Soon Lee
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - In Deuk Seo
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Duck Yun
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Woulwoo Lee
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongju Choi
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jangwoo Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Lim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungyu Rah
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Sun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jie-Oh Lee
- Institute of Membrane Proteins, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Gil Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence e-mail: ,
| | - Suk-Youl Park
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 80 Jigokro-127-Beongil, Pohang, Nam-gu, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence e-mail: ,
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14
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Polyimide mesh-based sample holder with irregular crystal mounting holes for fixed-target serial crystallography. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13115. [PMID: 34162965 PMCID: PMC8222285 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92687-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The serial crystallography (SX) technique enables the determination of the room-temperature structure of a macromolecule while causing minimal radiation damage, as well as the visualization of the molecular dynamics by time-resolved studies. The fixed-target (FT) scanning approach is one method for SX sample delivery that minimizes sample consumption and minimizes physical damage to crystals during data collection. Settling of the crystals on the sample holder in random orientation is important for complete three dimensional data collection. To increase the random orientation of crystals on the sample holder, we developed a polyimide mesh-based sample holder with irregular crystal mounting holes for FT-SX. The polyimide mesh was fabricated using a picosecond laser. Each hole in the polyimide mesh has irregularly shaped holes because of laser thermal damage, which may cause more crystals to settle at random orientations compared to regular shaped sample holders. A crystal sample was spread onto a polyimide-mesh, and a polyimide film was added to both sides to prevent dehydration. Using this sample holder, FT-SX was performed at synchrotron and determined the room-temperature lysozyme structure at 1.65 Å. The polyimide mesh with irregularly shaped holes will allow for expanded applications in sample delivery for FT-SX experiments.
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15
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Illava G, Jayne R, Finke AD, Closs D, Zeng W, Milano SK, Huang Q, Kriksunov I, Sidorenko P, Wise FW, Zipfel WR, Apker BA, Thorne RE. Integrated sample-handling and mounting system for fixed-target serial synchrotron crystallography. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2021; 77:628-644. [PMID: 33950019 PMCID: PMC8098472 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321001868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) is enabling the efficient use of small crystals for structure-function studies of biomolecules and for drug discovery. An integrated SSX system has been developed comprising ultralow background-scatter sample holders suitable for room and cryogenic temperature crystallographic data collection, a sample-loading station and a humid `gloveless' glovebox. The sample holders incorporate thin-film supports with a variety of designs optimized for different crystal-loading challenges. These holders facilitate the dispersion of crystals and the removal of excess liquid, can be cooled at extremely high rates, generate little background scatter, allow data collection over >90° of oscillation without obstruction or the risk of generating saturating Bragg peaks, are compatible with existing infrastructure for high-throughput cryocrystallography and are reusable. The sample-loading station allows sample preparation and loading onto the support film, the application of time-varying suction for optimal removal of excess liquid, crystal repositioning and cryoprotection, and the application of sealing films for room-temperature data collection, all in a controlled-humidity environment. The humid glovebox allows microscope observation of the sample-loading station and crystallization trays while maintaining near-saturating humidities that further minimize the risks of sample dehydration and damage, and maximize working times. This integrated system addresses common problems in obtaining properly dispersed, properly hydrated and isomorphous microcrystals for fixed-orientation and oscillation data collection. Its ease of use, flexibility and optimized performance make it attractive not just for SSX but also for single-crystal and few-crystal data collection. Fundamental concepts that are important in achieving desired crystal distributions on a sample holder via time-varying suction-induced liquid flows are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Illava
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | | | - David Closs
- MiTeGen LLC, PO Box 3867, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Wenjie Zeng
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Shawn K. Milano
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | | | - Pavel Sidorenko
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Frank W. Wise
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Warren R. Zipfel
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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16
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Hasegawa K, Baba S, Kawamura T, Yamamoto M, Kumasaka T. Evaluation of the data-collection strategy for room-temperature micro-crystallography studied by serial synchrotron rotation crystallography combined with the humid air and glue-coating method. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2021; 77:300-312. [PMID: 33645534 PMCID: PMC7919407 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321001686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Synchrotron serial crystallography (SSX) is an emerging data-collection method for micro-crystallography on synchrotron macromolecular (MX) crystallography beamlines. At SPring-8, the feasibility of the fixed-target approach was examined by collecting data using a 2D raster scan combined with goniometer rotation. Results at cryogenic temperatures demonstrated that rotation is effective for efficient data collection in SSX and the method was named serial synchrotron rotation crystallography (SS-ROX). To use this method for room-temperature (RT) data collection, a humid air and glue-coating (HAG) method was developed in which data were collected from polyvinyl alcohol-coated microcrystals fixed on a loop under humidity-controlled air. The performance and the RT data-collection strategy for micro-crystallography were evaluated using microcrystals of lysozyme. Although a change in unit-cell dimensions of up to 1% was observed during data collection, the impact on data quality was marginal. A comparison of data obtained at various absorbed doses revealed that absorbed doses of up to 210 kGy were tolerable in both global and local damage. Although this limits the number of photons deposited on each crystal, increasing the number of merged images improved the resolution. On the basis of these results, an equation was proposed that relates the achievable resolution to the total photon flux used to obtain a data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Hasegawa
- Protein Crystal Analysis Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Seiki Baba
- Protein Crystal Analysis Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Takashi Kawamura
- Protein Crystal Analysis Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Takashi Kumasaka
- Protein Crystal Analysis Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
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17
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Abstract
X-ray crystallography enables detailed structural studies of proteins to understand and modulate their function. Conducting crystallographic experiments at cryogenic temperatures has practical benefits but potentially limits the identification of functionally important alternative protein conformations that can be revealed only at room temperature (RT). This review discusses practical aspects of preparing, acquiring, and analyzing X-ray crystallography data at RT to demystify preconceived impracticalities that freeze progress of routine RT data collection at synchrotron sources. Examples are presented as conceptual and experimental templates to enable the design of RT-inspired studies; they illustrate the diversity and utility of gaining novel insights into protein conformational landscapes. An integrative view of protein conformational dynamics enables opportunities to advance basic and biomedical research.
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18
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Ren Z, Wang C, Shin H, Bandara S, Kumarapperuma I, Ren MY, Kang W, Yang X. An automated platform for in situ serial crystallography at room temperature. IUCRJ 2020; 7:1009-1018. [PMID: 33209315 PMCID: PMC7642789 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252520011288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Direct observation of functional motions in protein structures is highly desirable for understanding how these nanomachineries of life operate at the molecular level. Because cryogenic temperatures are non-physiological and may prohibit or even alter protein structural dynamics, it is necessary to develop robust X-ray diffraction methods that enable routine data collection at room temperature. We recently reported a crystal-on-crystal device to facilitate in situ diffraction of protein crystals at room temperature devoid of any sample manipulation. Here an automated serial crystallography platform based on this crystal-on-crystal technology is presented. A hardware and software prototype has been implemented, and protocols have been established that allow users to image, recognize and rank hundreds to thousands of protein crystals grown on a chip in optical scanning mode prior to serial introduction of these crystals to an X-ray beam in a programmable and high-throughput manner. This platform has been tested extensively using fragile protein crystals. We demonstrate that with affordable sample consumption, this in situ serial crystallography technology could give rise to room-temperature protein structures of higher resolution and superior map quality for those protein crystals that encounter difficulties during freezing. This serial data collection platform is compatible with both monochromatic oscillation and Laue methods for X-ray diffraction and presents a widely applicable approach for static and dynamic crystallographic studies at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Renz Research, Inc., Westmont, IL 60559, USA
| | - Cong Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Heewhan Shin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Indika Kumarapperuma
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Michael Y. Ren
- A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Weijia Kang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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19
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Fixed-Target Serial Synchrotron Crystallography Using Nylon Mesh and Enclosed Film-Based Sample Holder. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10090803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) technique using synchrotron X-ray allows the visualization of room-temperature crystal structures with low-dose data collection as well as time-resolved molecular dynamics. In an SX experiment, delivery of numerous crystals for X-ray interaction, in a serial manner, is very important. Fixed-target scanning approach has the advantage of dramatically minimizing sample consumption as well as any physical damage to crystal sample, compared to other sample delivery methods. Here, we introduce the simple approach of fixed-target serial synchrotron crystallography (FT-SSX) using nylon mesh and enclosed film (NAM)-based sample holder. The NAM-based sample holder consisted of X-ray-transparent nylon-mesh and polyimide film, attached to a magnetic base. This sample holder was mounted to a goniometer head on macromolecular crystallography beamline, and translated along vertical and horizontal directions for raster scanning by the goniometer. Diffraction data were collected in two raster scanning approaches: (i) 100 ms X-ray exposure and 0.011° oscillation at each scan point and (ii) 500 ms X-ray exposure and 0.222° oscillation at each scan point. Using this approach, we determined the room-temperature crystal structures of lysozyme and glucose isomerase at 1.5–2.0 Å resolution. The sample holder produced negligible X-ray background scattering for data processing. Therefore, the new approach provided an opportunity to perform FT-SSX with high accessibility using macromolecular crystallography beamlines at synchrotron without any special equipment.
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20
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Pearson AR, Mehrabi P. Serial synchrotron crystallography for time-resolved structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 65:168-174. [PMID: 32846363 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The current state-of-the-art experiments in time-resolved structural biology are undoubtedly the recent extremely impressive results that are emerging from XFEL-based experiments. However, there is a large range of macromolecular systems where the biological interest is predominantly in the slower dynamics (μs-s), that produce well diffracting microcrystals, and for which synchrotron-based experiments are extremely well suited. The combination of microfocus X-ray beams and the development of a range of sample delivery platforms has now made routine millisecond time-resolved experiments at microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamlines a real possibility and is driving development of dedicated endstations for time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arwen R Pearson
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, CFEL, Luruper Chaussee 149, Hamburg 22761, Germany.
| | - Pedram Mehrabi
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, CFEL, Luruper Chaussee 149, Hamburg 22761, Germany
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21
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Besaw JE, Ou WL, Morizumi T, Eger BT, Sanchez Vasquez JD, Chu JHY, Harris A, Brown LS, Miller RJD, Ernst OP. The crystal structures of a chloride-pumping microbial rhodopsin and its proton-pumping mutant illuminate proton transfer determinants. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:14793-14804. [PMID: 32703899 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are versatile and ubiquitous retinal-binding proteins that function as light-driven ion pumps, light-gated ion channels, and photosensors, with potential utility as optogenetic tools for altering membrane potential in target cells. Insights from crystal structures have been central for understanding proton, sodium, and chloride transport mechanisms of microbial rhodopsins. Two of three known groups of anion pumps, the archaeal halorhodopsins (HRs) and bacterial chloride-pumping rhodopsins, have been structurally characterized. Here we report the structure of a representative of a recently discovered third group consisting of cyanobacterial chloride and sulfate ion-pumping rhodopsins, the Mastigocladopsis repens rhodopsin (MastR). Chloride-pumping MastR contains in its ion transport pathway a unique Thr-Ser-Asp (TSD) motif, which is involved in the binding of a chloride ion. The structure reveals that the chloride-binding mode is more similar to HRs than chloride-pumping rhodopsins, but the overall structure most closely resembles bacteriorhodopsin (BR), an archaeal proton pump. The MastR structure shows a trimer arrangement reminiscent of BR-like proton pumps and shows features at the extracellular side more similar to BR than the other chloride pumps. We further solved the structure of the MastR-T74D mutant, which contains a single amino acid replacement in the TSD motif. We provide insights into why this point mutation can convert the MastR chloride pump into a proton pump but cannot in HRs. Our study points at the importance of precise coordination and exact location of the water molecule in the active center of proton pumps, which serves as a bridge for the key proton transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Besaw
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wei-Lin Ou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Takefumi Morizumi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bryan T Eger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Juan D Sanchez Vasquez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica H Y Chu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Harris
- Department of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonid S Brown
- Department of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - R J Dwayne Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Oliver P Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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22
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EM-detwin: A Program for Resolving Indexing Ambiguity in Serial Crystallography Using the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10070588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX), first used as an application of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), is becoming a useful method to determine atomic-resolution structures of proteins from micrometer-sized crystals with bright X-ray sources. Because of unknown orientations of crystals in SX, indexing ambiguity issue arises when the symmetry of Bravais lattice is higher than the space group symmetry, making some diffraction signals wrongly merged to the total intensity in twinned orientations. In this research, we developed a program within the CrystFEL framework, the EM-detwin, to resolve this indexing ambiguity problem based on the expectation-maximization algorithm. Testing results on the performance of the EM-detwin have demonstrated its usefulness in correctly indexing diffraction data as a valuable tool for SX data analysis.
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23
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Mehrabi P, Müller-Werkmeister HM, Leimkohl JP, Schikora H, Ninkovic J, Krivokuca S, Andriček L, Epp SW, Sherrell D, Owen RL, Pearson AR, Tellkamp F, Schulz EC, Miller RJD. The HARE chip for efficient time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2020; 27:360-370. [PMID: 32153274 PMCID: PMC7064102 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577520000685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) is an emerging technique for static and time-resolved protein structure determination. Using specifically patterned silicon chips for sample delivery, the `hit-and-return' (HARE) protocol allows for efficient time-resolved data collection. The specific pattern of the crystal wells in the HARE chip provides direct access to many discrete time points. HARE chips allow for optical excitation as well as on-chip mixing for reaction initiation, making a large number of protein systems amenable to time-resolved studies. Loading of protein microcrystals onto the HARE chip is streamlined by a novel vacuum loading platform that allows fine-tuning of suction strength while maintaining a humid environment to prevent crystal dehydration. To enable the widespread use of time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography (TR-SSX), detailed technical descriptions of a set of accessories that facilitate TR-SSX workflows are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Mehrabi
- Department for Atomically Resolved Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henrike M. Müller-Werkmeister
- Department for Atomically Resolved Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry – Physical Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Jan-Philipp Leimkohl
- Scientific Support Unit Machine Physics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Schikora
- Scientific Support Unit Machine Physics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jelena Ninkovic
- Halbleiterlabor der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, D-81739 Munich, Germany
| | - Silvia Krivokuca
- Halbleiterlabor der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, D-81739 Munich, Germany
| | - Ladislav Andriček
- Halbleiterlabor der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, D-81739 Munich, Germany
| | - Sascha W. Epp
- Department for Atomically Resolved Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Darren Sherrell
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Robin L. Owen
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Arwen R. Pearson
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 9, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Friedjof Tellkamp
- Scientific Support Unit Machine Physics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eike C. Schulz
- Department for Atomically Resolved Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - R. J. Dwayne Miller
- Department for Atomically Resolved Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 9, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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24
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Mehrabi P, Schulz EC, Dsouza R, Müller-Werkmeister HM, Tellkamp F, Miller RJD, Pai EF. Time-resolved crystallography reveals allosteric communication aligned with molecular breathing. Science 2019; 365:1167-1170. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw9904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of protein function demands correlating structure and dynamic changes. Using time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography, we visualized half-of-the-sites reactivity and correlated molecular-breathing motions in the enzyme fluoroacetate dehalogenase. Eighteen time points from 30 milliseconds to 30 seconds cover four turnover cycles of the irreversible reaction. They reveal sequential substrate binding, covalent-intermediate formation, setup of a hydrolytic water molecule, and product release. Small structural changes of the protein mold and variations in the number and placement of water molecules accompany the various chemical steps of catalysis. Triggered by enzyme-ligand interactions, these repetitive changes in the protein framework’s dynamics and entropy constitute crucial components of the catalytic machinery.
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