1
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Thompson AJ, Sanchez-Weatherby J, Williams LJ, Mikolajek H, Sandy J, Worrall JAR, Hough MA. Efficient in situ screening of and data collection from microcrystals in crystallization plates. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:279-288. [PMID: 38488731 PMCID: PMC10994175 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324001955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
A considerable bottleneck in serial crystallography at XFEL and synchrotron sources is the efficient production of large quantities of homogenous, well diffracting microcrystals. Efficient high-throughput screening of batch-grown microcrystals and the determination of ground-state structures from different conditions is thus of considerable value in the early stages of a project. Here, a highly sample-efficient methodology to measure serial crystallography data from microcrystals by raster scanning within standard in situ 96-well crystallization plates is described. Structures were determined from very small quantities of microcrystal suspension and the results were compared with those from other sample-delivery methods. The analysis of a two-dimensional batch crystallization screen using this method is also described as a useful guide for further optimization and the selection of appropriate conditions for scaling up microcrystallization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J. Thompson
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Sanchez-Weatherby
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis J. Williams
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Halina Mikolajek
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - James Sandy
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan A. R. Worrall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A. Hough
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
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2
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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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3
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Liang M, Yu L, Wang Z, Zhou H, Zhang Y, Wang Q, He J. Novel combined crystallization plate for high-throughput crystal screening and in situ data collection at a crystallography beamline. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:319-327. [PMID: 34473109 PMCID: PMC8411933 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x21008104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In situ microplates are small in size, crystal cultivation and operation are difficult, and the efficiency of crystal screening is relatively low. To solve this problem, a novel combined crystallization plate was designed for high-throughput crystal cultivation and in situ data collection. A frame was used to hold 48 in situ microplates, and the in situ microplates were sealed on one side with an ultralow background-scattering Kapton film. An automatic liquid handler (Mosquito) was used to add a liquid drop to the in situ microplates in the frame, and CrystalClear HD tape was used to seal the frame. A sealed frame holding 48 microplates was developed as a novel combined crystallization plate and was used for crystal cultivation under different conditions and in situ data collection at the synchrotron beamline. Moreover, individual microplates can be separated from the combined crystal plate and then fixed on a magnetic base or loaded onto a UniPuck for in situ data collection. Automatic grid scanning was used to locate crystals. The efficiency of the combined crystallization plate for crystal screening was verified. This method avoids the manual manipulation of crystals during crystal screening and diffraction data collection; therefore, the combined crystallization plate is suitable for large-scale screening of microcrystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Liang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhijun Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huan Zhou
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qisheng Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianhua He
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People’s Republic of China
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, People’s Republic of China
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4
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Membrane protein crystallography in the era of modern structural biology. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:2505-2524. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20200066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of structural biology has been always the study of biological macromolecules structures and their mechanistic behaviour at molecular level. To achieve its goal, multiple biophysical methods and approaches have become part of the structural biology toolbox. Considered as one of the pillars of structural biology, X-ray crystallography has been the most successful method for solving three-dimensional protein structures at atomic level to date. It is however limited by the success in obtaining well-ordered protein crystals that diffract at high resolution. This is especially true for challenging targets such as membrane proteins (MPs). Understanding structure-function relationships of MPs at the biochemical level is vital for medicine and drug discovery as they play critical roles in many cellular processes. Though difficult, structure determination of MPs by X-ray crystallography has significantly improved in the last two decades, mainly due to many relevant technological and methodological developments. Today, numerous MP crystal structures have been solved, revealing many of their mechanisms of action. Yet the field of structural biology has also been through significant technological breakthroughs in recent years, particularly in the fields of single particle electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs). Here we summarise the most important advancements in the field of MP crystallography and the significance of these developments in the present era of modern structural biology.
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Martiel I, Huang CY, Villanueva-Perez P, Panepucci E, Basu S, Caffrey M, Pedrini B, Bunk O, Stampanoni M, Wang M. Low-dose in situ prelocation of protein microcrystals by 2D X-ray phase-contrast imaging for serial crystallography. IUCRJ 2020; 7:1131-1141. [PMID: 33209324 PMCID: PMC7642777 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252520013238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Serial protein crystallography has emerged as a powerful method of data collection on small crystals from challenging targets, such as membrane proteins. Multiple microcrystals need to be located on large and often flat mounts while exposing them to an X-ray dose that is as low as possible. A crystal-prelocation method is demonstrated here using low-dose 2D full-field propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging at the X-ray imaging beamline TOMCAT at the Swiss Light Source (SLS). This imaging step provides microcrystal coordinates for automated serial data collection at a microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamline on samples with an essentially flat geometry. This prelocation method was applied to microcrystals of a soluble protein and a membrane protein, grown in a commonly used double-sandwich in situ crystallization plate. The inner sandwiches of thin plastic film enclosing the microcrystals in lipid cubic phase were flash cooled and imaged at TOMCAT. Based on the obtained crystal coordinates, both still and rotation wedge serial data were collected automatically at the SLS PXI beamline, yielding in both cases a high indexing rate. This workflow can be easily implemented at many synchrotron facilities using existing equipment, or potentially integrated as an online technique in the next-generation macromolecular crystallography beamline, and thus benefit a number of dose-sensitive challenging protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Martiel
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Chia-Ying Huang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Pablo Villanueva-Perez
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
- Synchrotron Radiation Research and NanoLund, Lund University, Box 118, Lund, 221 00, Sweden
| | - Ezequiel Panepucci
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Shibom Basu
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
- EMBL Grenoble, 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
| | - Martin Caffrey
- School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Bill Pedrini
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Bunk
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Marco Stampanoni
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
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6
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Zhao FZ, Sun B, Yu L, Xiao QJ, Wang ZJ, Chen LL, Liang H, Wang QS, He JH, Yin DC. A novel sample delivery system based on circular motion for in situ serial synchrotron crystallography. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:3888-3898. [PMID: 32966481 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00443j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A sample delivery system is one of the key parts of serial crystallography. It is the main limiting factor affecting the application of serial crystallography. At present, although a variety of useful sample delivery systems have been developed for serial crystallography, it still remains the focus of the field to further improve the performance and efficiency of sample delivery. In existing sample delivery technologies, samples are usually delivered in linear motion. Here we show that the samples can also be delivered using circular motion, which is a novel motion mode never tested before. In this paper, we report a microfluidic rotating-target sample delivery device, which is characterized by the circular motion of the samples, and verify the performance of the device at a synchrotron radiation facility. The microfluidic rotating-target sample delivery device consists of two parts: a microfluidic sample plate and a motion control system. Sample delivery is realized by rotating the microfluidic sample plate containing in situ grown crystals. This device offers significant advantages, including a very wide adjustable range of delivery speed, low background noise, and low sample consumption. Using the microfluidic rotating-target device, we carried out in situ serial crystallography experiments with lysozyme and proteinase K as model samples at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and performed structural determination based on the serial crystallographic data. The results showed that the designed device is fully compatible with the synchrotron radiation facility, and the structure determination of proteins is successful using the serial crystallographic data obtained with the device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Zhu Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Bo Sun
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qing-Jie Xiao
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Wang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang-Liang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Huan Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Qi-Sheng Wang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Hua He
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. and The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Da-Chuan Yin
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China. and Shenzhen Research Institute, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shenzhen, China
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7
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Huang CY, Meier N, Caffrey M, Wang M, Olieric V. 3D-printed holders for in meso in situ fixed-target serial X-ray crystallography. J Appl Crystallogr 2020; 53:854-859. [PMID: 32684901 PMCID: PMC7312129 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576720002897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The in meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography method was developed to ease the handling of small fragile crystals of membrane proteins and for rapid data collection on hundreds of microcrystals directly in the growth medium without the need for crystal harvesting. To facilitate mounting of these in situ samples on a goniometer at cryogenic or at room temperatures, two new 3D-printed holders have been developed. They provide for cubic and sponge phase sample stability in the X-ray beam and are compatible with sample-changing robots. The holders can accommodate a variety of window material types, as well as bespoke samples for diffraction screening and data collection at conventional macromolecular crystallography beamlines. They can be used for convenient post-crystallization treatments such as ligand and heavy-atom soaking. The design, assembly and application of the holders for in situ serial crystallography are described. Files for making the holders using a 3D printer are included as supporting information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ying Huang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Meier
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
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8
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Huang CY, Olieric V, Caffrey M, Wang M. In Meso In Situ Serial X-Ray Crystallography (IMISX): A Protocol for Membrane Protein Structure Determination at the Swiss Light Source. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2127:293-319. [PMID: 32112330 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0373-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The lipid cubic phases (LCP) have enabled the determination of many important high-resolution structures of membrane proteins such as G-protein-coupled receptors, photosensitive proteins, enzymes, channels, and transporters. However, harvesting the crystals from the glass or plastic plates in which crystals grow is challenging. The in meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography (IMISX) method uses thin plastic windowed plates that minimize LCP crystal manipulation. The method, which is compatible with high-throughput in situ measurements, allows systematic diffraction screening and rapid data collection from hundreds of microcrystals in in meso crystallization wells without direct crystal harvesting. In this chapter, we describe an IMISX protocol for in situ serial X-ray data collection of LCP-grown crystals at both cryogenic and room temperatures which includes the crystallization setup, sample delivery, automated serial diffraction data collection, and experimental phasing. We also detail how the IMISX method was applied successfully for the structure determination of two novel targets-the undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate phosphatase BacA and the chemokine G-protein-coupled receptor CCR2A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland.
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
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9
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Cheng R, Huang C, Hennig M, Nar H, Schnapp G. In situ
crystallography as an emerging method for structure solution of membrane proteins: the case of CCR2A. FEBS J 2019; 287:866-873. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chia‐Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source Paul Scherrer Institute Villigen Switzerland
| | | | - Herbert Nar
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG Biberach Germany
| | - Gisela Schnapp
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG Biberach Germany
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10
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Wang JW, Gao J, Wang HF, Jin QH, Rao B, Deng W, Cao Y, Lei M, Ye S, Fang Q. Miniaturization of the Whole Process of Protein Crystallographic Analysis by a Microfluidic Droplet Robot: From Nanoliter-Scale Purified Proteins to Diffraction-Quality Crystals. Anal Chem 2019; 91:10132-10140. [PMID: 31276402 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To obtain diffraction-quality crystals is one of the largest barriers to analyze the protein structure using X-ray crystallography. Here we describe a microfluidic droplet robot that enables successful miniaturization of the whole process of crystallization experiments including large-scale initial crystallization screening, crystallization optimization, and crystal harvesting. The combination of the state-of-the-art droplet-based microfluidic technique with the microbatch crystallization mode dramatically reduces the volumes of droplet crystallization reactors to tens nanoliter range, allowing large-scale initial screening of 1536 crystallization conditions and multifactor crystallization condition optimization with extremely low protein consumption, and on-chip harvesting of diffraction-quality crystals directly from the droplet reactors. We applied the droplet robot in miniaturized crystallization experiments of seven soluble proteins and two membrane proteins, and on-chip crystal harvesting of six proteins. The X-ray diffraction data sets of these crystals were collected using synchrotron radiation for analyzing the structures with similar diffraction qualities as conventional crystallization methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Wei Wang
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China
| | - Jie Gao
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China
| | - Hui-Feng Wang
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China
| | - Qiu-Heng Jin
- Life Sciences Institute , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China
| | - Bing Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology , National Center for Protein Science · Shanghai , Shanghai , 201210 , China
| | - Wei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology , National Center for Protein Science · Shanghai , Shanghai , 201210 , China
| | - Yu Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology , National Center for Protein Science · Shanghai , Shanghai , 201210 , China
| | - Ming Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology , National Center for Protein Science · Shanghai , Shanghai , 201210 , China
| | - Sheng Ye
- Life Sciences Institute , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China.,School of Life Sciences , Tianjin University , Tianjin , 300072 , China
| | - Qun Fang
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , 310058 , China
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11
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Wierman JL, Paré-Labrosse O, Sarracini A, Besaw JE, Cook MJ, Oghbaey S, Daoud H, Mehrabi P, Kriksunov I, Kuo A, Schuller DJ, Smith S, Ernst OP, Szebenyi DME, Gruner SM, Miller RJD, Finke AD. Fixed-target serial oscillation crystallography at room temperature. IUCRJ 2019; 6:305-316. [PMID: 30867928 PMCID: PMC6400179 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252519001453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
A fixed-target approach to high-throughput room-temperature serial synchrotron crystallography with oscillation is described. Patterned silicon chips with microwells provide high crystal-loading density with an extremely high hit rate. The microfocus, undulator-fed beamline at CHESS, which has compound refractive optics and a fast-framing detector, was built and optimized for this experiment. The high-throughput oscillation method described here collects 1-5° of data per crystal at room temperature with fast (10° s-1) oscillation rates and translation times, giving a crystal-data collection rate of 2.5 Hz. Partial datasets collected by the oscillation method at a storage-ring source provide more complete data per crystal than still images, dramatically lowering the total number of crystals needed for a complete dataset suitable for structure solution and refinement - up to two orders of magnitude fewer being required. Thus, this method is particularly well suited to instances where crystal quantities are low. It is demonstrated, through comparison of first and last oscillation images of two systems, that dose and the effects of radiation damage can be minimized through fast rotation and low angular sweeps for each crystal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Paré-Labrosse
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Antoine Sarracini
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Jessica E. Besaw
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | | | - Saeed Oghbaey
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Hazem Daoud
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Pedram Mehrabi
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Anling Kuo
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Scott Smith
- MacCHESS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Oliver P. Ernst
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sol M. Gruner
- MacCHESS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - R. J. Dwayne Miller
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg, Germany
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12
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Sanchez-Weatherby J, Sandy J, Mikolajek H, Lobley CMC, Mazzorana M, Kelly J, Preece G, Littlewood R, Sørensen TLM. VMXi: a fully automated, fully remote, high-flux in situ macromolecular crystallography beamline. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2019; 26:291-301. [PMID: 30655497 PMCID: PMC6337891 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577518015114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
VMXi is a new high-flux microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamline at Diamond Light Source. The beamline, dedicated to fully automated and fully remote data collection of macromolecular crystals in situ, allows rapid screening of hundreds of crystallization plates from multiple user groups. Its main purpose is to give fast feedback at the complex stages of crystallization and crystal optimization, but it also enables data collection of small and delicate samples that are particularly difficult to harvest using conventional cryo-methods, crystals grown in the lipidic cubic phase, and allows for multi-crystal data collections in drug discovery programs. The beamline is equipped with two monochromators: one with a narrow band-pass and fine energy resolution (optimal for regular oscillation experiments), and one with a wide band-pass and a high photon flux (optimal for fast screening). The beamline has a state-of-the-art detector and custom goniometry that allows fast data collection. This paper describes the beamline design, current status and future plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Sanchez-Weatherby
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - James Sandy
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Halina Mikolajek
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Carina M. C. Lobley
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Marco Mazzorana
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Jon Kelly
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Geoff Preece
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Rich Littlewood
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Thomas L.-M. Sørensen
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Balo AR, Lee J, Ernst OP. Stationary Phase EPR Spectroscopy for Monitoring Membrane Protein Refolding by Conformational Response. Anal Chem 2018; 91:1071-1079. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Huang CY, Olieric V, Howe N, Warshamanage R, Weinert T, Panepucci E, Vogeley L, Basu S, Diederichs K, Caffrey M, Wang M. In situ serial crystallography for rapid de novo membrane protein structure determination. Commun Biol 2018; 1:124. [PMID: 30272004 PMCID: PMC6123769 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0123-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
De novo membrane protein structure determination is often limited by the availability of large crystals and the difficulties in obtaining accurate diffraction data for experimental phasing. Here we present a method that combines in situ serial crystallography with de novo phasing for fast, efficient membrane protein structure determination. The method enables systematic diffraction screening and rapid data collection from hundreds of microcrystals in in meso crystallization wells without the need for direct crystal harvesting. The requisite data quality for experimental phasing is achieved by accumulating diffraction signals from isomorphous crystals identified post-data collection. The method works in all experimental phasing scenarios and is particularly attractive with fragile, weakly diffracting microcrystals. The automated serial data collection approach can be readily adopted at most microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamlines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Howe
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | | | - Tobias Weinert
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Ezequiel Panepucci
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Vogeley
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Shibom Basu
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Kay Diederichs
- Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, M647, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland.
| | - Meitian Wang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland.
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15
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High-throughput in situ X-ray screening of and data collection from protein crystals at room temperature and under cryogenic conditions. Nat Protoc 2018; 13:260-292. [PMID: 29300389 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2017.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Protein crystallography has significantly advanced in recent years, with in situ data collection, in which crystals are placed in the X-ray beam within their growth medium, being a major point of focus. In situ methods eliminate the need to harvest crystals, a previously unavoidable drawback, particularly for often small membrane-protein crystals. Here, we present a protocol for the high-throughput in situ X-ray screening of and data collection from soluble and membrane-protein crystals at room temperature (20-25°C) and under cryogenic conditions. The Mylar in situ method uses Mylar-based film sandwich plates that are inexpensive, easy to make, and compatible with automated imaging, and that show very low background scattering. They support crystallization in microbatch and vapor-diffusion modes, as well as in lipidic cubic phases (LCPs). A set of 3D-printed holders for differently sized patches of Mylar sandwich films makes the method robust and versatile, allows for storage and shipping of crystals, and enables automated mounting at synchrotrons, as well as goniometer-based screening and data collection. The protocol covers preparation of in situ plates and setup of crystallization trials; 3D printing and assembly of holders; opening of plates, isolation of film patches containing crystals, and loading them onto holders; basic screening and data-collection guidelines; and unloading of holders, as well as reuse and recycling of them. In situ plates are prepared and assembled in 1 h; holders are 3D-printed and assembled in ≤90 min; and an in situ plate is opened, and a film patch containing crystals is isolated and loaded onto a holder in 5 min.
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16
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Manning MC, Liu J, Li T, Holcomb RE. Rational Design of Liquid Formulations of Proteins. THERAPEUTIC PROTEINS AND PEPTIDES 2018; 112:1-59. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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17
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Schieferstein JM, Pawate AS, Sun C, Wan F, Sheraden PN, Broecker J, Ernst OP, Gennis RB, Kenis PJA. X-ray transparent microfluidic chips for high-throughput screening and optimization of in meso membrane protein crystallization. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:024118. [PMID: 28469762 PMCID: PMC5403737 DOI: 10.1063/1.4981818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating and clarifying the function of membrane proteins ultimately requires atomic resolution structures as determined most commonly by X-ray crystallography. Many high impact membrane protein structures have resulted from advanced techniques such as in meso crystallization that present technical difficulties for the set-up and scale-out of high-throughput crystallization experiments. In prior work, we designed a novel, low-throughput X-ray transparent microfluidic device that automated the mixing of protein and lipid by diffusion for in meso crystallization trials. Here, we report X-ray transparent microfluidic devices for high-throughput crystallization screening and optimization that overcome the limitations of scale and demonstrate their application to the crystallization of several membrane proteins. Two complementary chips are presented: (1) a high-throughput screening chip to test 192 crystallization conditions in parallel using as little as 8 nl of membrane protein per well and (2) a crystallization optimization chip to rapidly optimize preliminary crystallization hits through fine-gradient re-screening. We screened three membrane proteins for new in meso crystallization conditions, identifying several preliminary hits that we tested for X-ray diffraction quality. Further, we identified and optimized the crystallization condition for a photosynthetic reaction center mutant and solved its structure to a resolution of 3.5 Å.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Schieferstein
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Ashtamurthy S Pawate
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Chang Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Frank Wan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Paige N Sheraden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Jana Broecker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S IA8, Canada
| | | | - Robert B Gennis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Paul J A Kenis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Crystallogenesis of Membrane Proteins Mediated by Polymer-Bounded Lipid Nanodiscs. Structure 2017; 25:384-392. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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