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Gotthard G, Flores-Ibarra A, Carrillo M, Kepa MW, Mason TJ, Stegmann DP, Olasz B, Pachota M, Dworkowski F, Ozerov D, Pedrini BF, Padeste C, Beale JH, Nogly P. Fixed-target pump-probe SFX: eliminating the scourge of light contamination. IUCRJ 2024; 11:749-761. [PMID: 38980142 PMCID: PMC11364036 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252524005591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) light sources have enabled the rapid growth of time-resolved structural experiments, which provide crucial information on the function of macromolecules and their mechanisms. Here, the aim was to commission the SwissMX fixed-target sample-delivery system at the SwissFEL Cristallina experimental station using the PSI-developed micro-structured polymer (MISP) chip for pump-probe time-resolved experiments. To characterize the system, crystals of the light-sensitive protein light-oxygen-voltage domain 1 (LOV1) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were used. Using different experimental settings, the accidental illumination, referred to as light contamination, of crystals mounted in wells adjacent to those illuminated by the pump laser was examined. It was crucial to control the light scattering from and through the solid supports otherwise significant contamination occurred. However, the results here show that the opaque MISP chips are suitable for defined pump-probe studies of a light-sensitive protein. The experiment also probed the sub-millisecond structural dynamics of LOV1 and indicated that at Δt = 10 µs a covalent thioether bond is established between reactive Cys57 and its flavin mononucleotide cofactor. This experiment validates the crystals to be suitable for in-depth follow-up studies of this still poorly understood signal-transduction mechanism. Importantly, the fixed-target delivery system also permitted a tenfold reduction in protein sample consumption compared with the more common high-viscosity extrusion-based delivery system. This development creates the prospect of an increase in XFEL project throughput for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Gotthard
- Institute of Molecular Biology and BiophysicsETH ZurichRämistrasse 1018092ZürichSwitzerland
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
- Swiss Light SourcePaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Andrea Flores-Ibarra
- Dioscuri Center for Structural Dynamics of Receptors, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityGronostajowa 730-380KrakowPoland
| | - Melissa Carrillo
- Laboratory of Nanoscale BiologyPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Michal W. Kepa
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Thomas J. Mason
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
- Swiss Light SourcePaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Dennis P. Stegmann
- Swiss Light SourcePaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Bence Olasz
- Dioscuri Center for Structural Dynamics of Receptors, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityGronostajowa 730-380KrakowPoland
| | - Magdalena Pachota
- Dioscuri Center for Structural Dynamics of Receptors, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityGronostajowa 730-380KrakowPoland
| | - Florian Dworkowski
- Laboratory for Synchrotron Radiation and FemtochemistryPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Dmitry Ozerov
- Science IT Infrastructure and ServicesPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Bill F. Pedrini
- Laboratory for X-ray Nanoscience and TechnologiesPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Celestino Padeste
- Laboratory of Nanoscale BiologyPaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - John H. Beale
- Swiss Light SourcePaul Scherrer InstitutForschungsstrasse 1115232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Przemyslaw Nogly
- Institute of Molecular Biology and BiophysicsETH ZurichRämistrasse 1018092ZürichSwitzerland
- Dioscuri Center for Structural Dynamics of Receptors, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityGronostajowa 730-380KrakowPoland
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2
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Kim Y, Nam KH. Data of fixed-target pink-beam serial synchrotron crystallography at the Pohang Light Source II. Data Brief 2024; 55:110604. [PMID: 39006347 PMCID: PMC11239454 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110604] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Pink-beam serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) is beneficial in terms of X-ray flux and overcoming partial reflection compared with SSX using a monochromatic beam. The fixed-target (FT) scanning method can minimize the physical damage on the crystal sample when delivering the crystals to the X-ray interaction point. Additionally, general researchers can easily access the experiment since no specialized sample transfer technology is needed. The fixed-target pink-beam SSX at the 1C beamline at the Pohang Light Source II (PLS-II) was previously demonstrated using a newly developed magnetic-based sample holder. The room-temperature structure of glucose isomerase and lysozyme were determined using FT pink-beam SSX. Meanwhile, the SSX dataset for glucose isomerase and lysozyme images containing the high X-ray background and multi-crystal hits. These data can be tentatively used to develop an indexing algorithm and practice processing the SX data. This study used detailed information on the diffraction data of fixed-target pink-beam SSX at PLS-II to access the raw data and process the information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsam Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
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3
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Carrillo M, Mason TJ, Karpik A, Martiel I, Kepa MW, McAuley KE, Beale JH, Padeste C. Micro-structured polymer fixed targets for serial crystallography at synchrotrons and XFELs. IUCRJ 2023; 10:678-693. [PMID: 37727961 PMCID: PMC10619457 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252523007595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Fixed targets are a popular form of sample-delivery system used in serial crystallography at synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser sources. They offer a wide range of sample-preparation options and are generally easy to use. The supports are typically made from silicon, quartz or polymer. Of these, currently, only silicon offers the ability to perform an aperture-aligned data collection where crystals are loaded into cavities in precise locations and sequentially rastered through, in step with the X-ray pulses. The polymer-based fixed targets have lacked the precision fabrication to enable this data-collection strategy and have been limited to directed-raster scans with crystals randomly distributed across the polymer surface. Here, the fabrication and first results from a new polymer-based fixed target, the micro-structured polymer fixed targets (MISP chips), are presented. MISP chips, like those made from silicon, have a precise array of cavities and fiducial markers. They consist of a structured polymer membrane and a stabilization frame. Crystals can be loaded into the cavities and the excess crystallization solution removed through apertures at their base. The fiducial markers allow for a rapid calculation of the aperture locations. The chips have a low X-ray background and, since they are optically transparent, also allow for an a priori analysis of crystal locations. This location mapping could, ultimately, optimize hit rates towards 100%. A black version of the MISP chip was produced to reduce light contamination for optical-pump/X-ray probe experiments. A study of the loading properties of the chips reveals that these types of fixed targets are best optimized for crystals of the order of 25 µm, but quality data can be collected from crystals as small as 5 µm. With the development of these chips, it has been proved that polymer-based fixed targets can be made with the precision required for aperture-alignment-based data-collection strategies. Further work can now be directed towards more cost-effective mass fabrication to make their use more sustainable for serial crystallography facilities and users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Carrillo
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas J. Mason
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Agnieszka Karpik
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
- Institute of Polymer Nanotechnology (INKA), FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Engineering, Klosterzelgstrasse 2, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Martiel
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Michal W. Kepa
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | - John H. Beale
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Celestino Padeste
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
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4
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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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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5
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Thompson MC. Combining temperature perturbations with X-ray crystallography to study dynamic macromolecules: A thorough discussion of experimental methods. Methods Enzymol 2023; 688:255-305. [PMID: 37748829 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is an important state variable that governs the behavior of microscopic systems, yet crystallographers rarely exploit temperature changes to study the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules. In fact, approximately 90% of crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank were determined under cryogenic conditions, because sample cryocooling makes crystals robust to X-ray radiation damage and facilitates data collection. On the other hand, cryocooling can introduce artifacts into macromolecular structures, and can suppress conformational dynamics that are critical for function. Fortunately, recent advances in X-ray detector technology, X-ray sources, and computational data processing algorithms make non-cryogenic X-ray crystallography easier and more broadly applicable than ever before. Without the reliance on cryocooling, high-resolution crystallography can be combined with various temperature perturbations to gain deep insight into the conformational landscapes of macromolecules. This Chapter reviews the historical reasons for the prevalence of cryocooling in macromolecular crystallography, and discusses its potential drawbacks. Next, the Chapter summarizes technological developments and methodologies that facilitate non-cryogenic crystallography experiments. Finally, the chapter discusses the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects of multi-temperature and temperature-jump crystallography experiments, which are powerful tools for understanding the relationship between the structure, dynamics, and function of proteins and other biological macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.
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6
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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] [Grants] [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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7
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Lee K, Kim J, Baek S, Park J, Park S, Lee JL, Chung WK, Cho Y, Nam KH. Combination of an inject-and-transfer system for serial femtosecond crystallography. J Appl Crystallogr 2022; 55:813-822. [PMID: 35979068 PMCID: PMC9348887 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576722005556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) enables the determination of room-temperature crystal structures of macromolecules with minimized radiation damage and provides time-resolved molecular dynamics by pump-probe or mix-and-inject experiments. In SFX, a variety of sample delivery methods with unique advantages have been developed and applied. The combination of existing sample delivery methods can enable a new approach to SFX data collection that combines the advantages of the individual methods. This study introduces a combined inject-and-transfer system (BITS) method for sample delivery in SFX experiments: a hybrid injection and fixed-target scanning method. BITS allows for solution samples to be reliably deposited on ultraviolet ozone (UVO)-treated polyimide films, at a minimum flow rate of 0.5 nl min-1, in both vertical and horizontal scanning modes. To utilize BITS in SFX experiments, lysozyme crystal samples were embedded in a viscous lard medium and injected at flow rates of 50-100 nl min-1 through a syringe needle onto a UVO-treated polyimide film, which was mounted on a fixed-target scan stage. The crystal samples deposited on the film were raster scanned with an X-ray free electron laser using a motion stage in both horizontal and vertical directions. Using the BITS method, the room-temperature structure of lysozyme was successfully determined at a resolution of 2.1 Å, and thus BITS could be utilized in future SFX experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keondo Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihan Kim
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwon Baek
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehyun Park
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Sehan Park
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Lam Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan Kyun Chung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunje Cho
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
- POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
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8
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Nam KH. Hit and Indexing Rate in Serial Crystallography: Incomparable Statistics. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:858815. [PMID: 35402509 PMCID: PMC8990040 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.858815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Nam
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
- POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Ki Hyun Nam,
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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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Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) is an emerging technique to determine macromolecules at room temperature. SX with a pump–probe experiment provides the time-resolved dynamics of target molecules. SX has developed rapidly over the past decade as a technique that not only provides room-temperature structures with biomolecules, but also has the ability to time-resolve their molecular dynamics. The serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) technique using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) has now been extended to serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) using synchrotron X-rays. The development of a variety of sample delivery techniques and data processing programs is currently accelerating SX research, thereby increasing the research scope. In this editorial, I briefly review some of the experimental techniques that have contributed to advances in the field of SX research and recent major research achievements. This Special Issue will contribute to the field of SX research.
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11
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Processing of Multicrystal Diffraction Patterns in Macromolecular Crystallography Using Serial Crystallography Programs. CRYSTALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst12010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cryocrystallography is a widely used method for determining the crystal structure of macromolecules. This technique uses a cryoenvironment, which significantly reduces the radiation damage to the crystals and has the advantage of requiring only one crystal for structural determination. In standard cryocrystallography, a single crystal is used for collecting diffraction data, which include single-crystal diffraction patterns. However, the X-ray data recorded often may contain diffraction patterns from several crystals. The indexing of multicrystal diffraction patterns in cryocrystallography requires more precise data processing techniques and is therefore time consuming. Here, an approach for processing multicrystal diffraction data using a serial crystallography program is introduced that allows for the integration of multicrystal diffraction patterns from a single image. Multicrystal diffraction data were collected from lysozyme crystals and processed using the serial crystallography program CrystFEL. From 360 images containing multicrystal diffraction patterns, 1138 and 691 crystal lattices could be obtained using the XGANDALF and MOSFLM indexing algorithms, respectively. Using this indexed multi-lattice information, the crystal structure of the lysozyme could be determined successfully at a resolution of 1.9 Å. Therefore, the proposed approach, which is based on serial crystallography, is suitable for processing multicrystal diffraction data in cryocrystallography.
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Nam KH, Cho Y. Stable sample delivery in a viscous medium via a polyimide-based single-channel microfluidic chip for serial crystallography. J Appl Crystallogr 2021. [DOI: 10.1107/s1600576721005720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) provides room-temperature crystal structures with minimal radiation damage and facilitates the comprehension of molecular dynamics through time-resolved studies. In SX experiments, it is important to deliver a large number of crystal samples to the X-ray interaction point in a serial and stable manner. The advantage of crystal delivery in a viscous medium via a capillary is the ability to deliver all of the crystal samples to the X-ray interaction point at a low flow rate; however, the capillary often breaks during handling and high X-ray absorption can occur at low energy states. This study aimed to develop a stable system for sample delivery in a viscous medium via a polyimide-based single-channel microfluidic (PSM) chip for SX. Since this microfluidic chip comprises a polyimide film, it has high tensile strength and higher X-ray transmittance than a quartz capillary. The PSM chip was connected to a syringe containing the microcrystals embedded in viscous medium. The channel of the PSM chip was aligned to the X-ray path, and the viscous medium containing lysozyme crystals was stably delivered using a syringe pump at a flow rate of 100 nl min−1. Room-temperature lysozyme crystal structures were successfully determined at 1.85 Å resolution. This method would greatly facilitate sample delivery for SX experiments using synchrotron X-rays.
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