1
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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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2
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Naydenova K, Kamegawa A, Peet MJ, Henderson R, Fujiyoshi Y, Russo CJ. On the reduction in the effects of radiation damage to two-dimensional crystals of organic and biological molecules at liquid-helium temperature. Ultramicroscopy 2022; 237:113512. [PMID: 35367901 PMCID: PMC9355890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2022.113512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We have studied the fading of electron diffraction spots from two-dimensional (2D) crystals of paraffin (C44H90), purple membrane (bacteriorhodopsin) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) at stage temperatures between 4K and 100K. We observed that the diffraction spots at resolutions between 3 Å and 20 Å fade more slowly at liquid-helium temperatures compared to liquid-nitrogen temperatures, by a factor of between 1.2 and 1.8, depending on the specimens. If the reduction in the effective rate of radiation damage for 2D crystals at liquid-helium temperature (as measured by spot fading) can be shown to extend to macromolecular assemblies embedded in amorphous ice, this would suggest that valuable improvements to electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) of biological specimens could be made by reducing the temperature of the specimens under irradiation below what is obtainable using standard liquid-nitrogen cryostats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Naydenova
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Akiko Kamegawa
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Laboratory (CeSPL), Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mathew J Peet
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Richard Henderson
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Yoshinori Fujiyoshi
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Laboratory (CeSPL), Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christopher J Russo
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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3
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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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4
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Naydenova K, Jia P, Russo CJ. Cryo-EM with sub-1 Å specimen movement. Science 2020; 370:223-226. [PMID: 33033219 PMCID: PMC7116250 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb7927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Most information loss in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) stems from particle movement during imaging, which remains poorly understood. We show that this movement is caused by buckling and subsequent deformation of the suspended ice, with a threshold that depends directly on the shape of the frozen water layer set by the support foil. We describe a specimen support design that eliminates buckling and reduces electron beam-induced particle movement to less than 1 angstrom. The design allows precise foil tracking during imaging with high-speed detectors, thereby lessening demands on cryostage precision and stability. It includes a maximal density of holes, which increases throughput in automated cryo-EM without degrading data quality. Movement-free imaging allows extrapolation to a three-dimensional map of the specimen at zero electron exposure, before the onset of radiation damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peipei Jia
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
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5
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Dickerson JL, Garman EF. Doses for experiments with microbeams and microcrystals: Monte Carlo simulations in RADDOSE-3D. Protein Sci 2020; 30:8-19. [PMID: 32734633 PMCID: PMC7737758 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly, microbeams and microcrystals are being used for macromolecular crystallography (MX) experiments at synchrotrons. However, radiation damage remains a major concern since it is a fundamental limiting factor affecting the success of macromolecular structure determination. The rate of radiation damage at cryotemperatures is known to be proportional to the absorbed dose, so to optimize experimental outcomes, accurate dose calculations are required which take into account the physics of the interactions of the crystal constituents. The program RADDOSE‐3D estimates the dose absorbed by samples during MX data collection at synchrotron sources, allowing direct comparison of radiation damage between experiments carried out with different samples and beam parameters. This has aided the study of MX radiation damage and enabled prediction of approximately when it will manifest in diffraction patterns so it can potentially be avoided. However, the probability of photoelectron escape from the sample and entry from the surrounding material has not previously been included in RADDOSE‐3D, leading to potentially inaccurate does estimates for experiments using microbeams or microcrystals. We present an extension to RADDOSE‐3D which performs Monte Carlo simulations of a rotating crystal during MX data collection, taking into account the redistribution of photoelectrons produced both in the sample and the material surrounding the crystal. As well as providing more accurate dose estimates, the Monte Carlo simulations highlight the importance of the size and composition of the surrounding material on the dose and thus the rate of radiation damage to the sample. Minimizing irradiation of the surrounding material or removing it almost completely will be key to extending the lifetime of microcrystals and enhancing the potential benefits of using higher incident X‐ray energies.
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Radiation damage and dose limits in serial synchrotron crystallography at cryo- and room temperatures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:4142-4151. [PMID: 32047034 PMCID: PMC7049125 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1821522117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular X-ray crystallography (MX) is the most prolific structure determination method in structural biology but is limited by radiation damage. To reduce damage progression, MX is usually carried out at cryogenic temperatures, sometimes blocking functionally important conformational heterogeneity. Lacking this shortcoming, room temperature MX has gained momentum with the recent advent of serial crystallography, whereby distribution of the X-ray dose over thousands of crystals mitigates damage. Here, an approach to serial crystallography is presented allowing visualization of specific damage to amino acids at room temperature and determination of a dose limit above which structural information from electron density maps decreases due to radiation damage. This limit provides important guidance for the growing number of synchrotron room temperature MX experiments. Radiation damage limits the accuracy of macromolecular structures in X-ray crystallography. Cryogenic (cryo-) cooling reduces the global radiation damage rate and, therefore, became the method of choice over the past decades. The recent advent of serial crystallography, which spreads the absorbed energy over many crystals, thereby reducing damage, has rendered room temperature (RT) data collection more practical and also extendable to microcrystals, both enabling and requiring the study of specific and global radiation damage at RT. Here, we performed sequential serial raster-scanning crystallography using a microfocused synchrotron beam that allowed for the collection of two series of 40 and 90 full datasets at 2- and 1.9-Å resolution at a dose rate of 40.3 MGy/s on hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) crystals at RT and cryotemperature, respectively. The diffraction intensity halved its initial value at average doses (D1/2) of 0.57 and 15.3 MGy at RT and 100 K, respectively. Specific radiation damage at RT was observed at disulfide bonds but not at acidic residues, increasing and then apparently reversing, a peculiar behavior that can be modeled by accounting for differential diffraction intensity decay due to the nonuniform illumination by the X-ray beam. Specific damage to disulfide bonds is evident early on at RT and proceeds at a fivefold higher rate than global damage. The decay modeling suggests it is advisable not to exceed a dose of 0.38 MGy per dataset in static and time-resolved synchrotron crystallography experiments at RT. This rough yardstick might change for proteins other than HEWL and at resolutions other than 2 Å.
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Atakisi H, Conger L, Moreau DW, Thorne RE. Resolution and dose dependence of radiation damage in biomolecular systems. IUCRJ 2019; 6:1040-1053. [PMID: 31709060 PMCID: PMC6830208 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252519008777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The local Fourier-space relation between diffracted intensity I, diffraction wavevector q and dose D, , is key to probing and understanding radiation damage by X-rays and energetic particles in both diffraction and imaging experiments. The models used in protein crystallography for the last 50 years provide good fits to experimental I(q) versus nominal dose data, but have unclear physical significance. More recently, a fit to diffraction and imaging experiments suggested that the maximum tolerable dose varies as q -1 or linearly with resolution. Here, it is shown that crystallographic data have been strongly perturbed by the effects of spatially nonuniform crystal irradiation and diffraction during data collection. Reanalysis shows that these data are consistent with a purely exponential local dose dependence, = I 0(q)exp[-D/D e(q)], where D e(q) ∝ q α with α ≃ 1.7. A physics-based model for radiation damage, in which damage events occurring at random locations within a sample each cause energy deposition and blurring of the electron density within a small volume, predicts this exponential variation with dose for all q values and a decay exponent α ≃ 2 in two and three dimensions, roughly consistent with both diffraction and imaging experiments over more than two orders of magnitude in resolution. The B-factor model used to account for radiation damage in crystallographic scaling programs is consistent with α = 2, but may not accurately capture the dose dependencies of structure factors under typical nonuniform illumination conditions. The strong q dependence of radiation-induced diffraction decays implies that the previously proposed 20-30 MGy dose limit for protein crystallography should be replaced by a resolution-dependent dose limit that, for atomic resolution data sets, will be much smaller. The results suggest that the physics underlying basic experimental trends in radiation damage at T ≃ 100 K is straightforward and universal. Deviations of the local I(q, D) from strictly exponential behavior may provide mechanistic insights, especially into the radiation-damage processes responsible for the greatly increased radiation sensitivity observed at T ≃ 300 K.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Atakisi
- Physics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - David W. Moreau
- Physics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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8
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Dao EH, Poitevin F, Sierra RG, Gati C, Rao Y, Ciftci HI, Akşit F, McGurk A, Obrinski T, Mgbam P, Hayes B, De Lichtenberg C, Pardo-Avila F, Corsepius N, Zhang L, Seaberg MH, Hunter MS, Liang M, Koglin JE, Wakatsuki S, Demirci H. Structure of the 30S ribosomal decoding complex at ambient temperature. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1667-1676. [PMID: 30139800 PMCID: PMC6239188 DOI: 10.1261/rna.067660.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome translates nucleotide sequences of messenger RNA to proteins through selection of cognate transfer RNA according to the genetic code. To date, structural studies of ribosomal decoding complexes yielding high-resolution data have predominantly relied on experiments performed at cryogenic temperatures. New light sources like the X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) have enabled data collection from macromolecular crystals at ambient temperature. Here, we report an X-ray crystal structure of the Thermus thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit decoding complex to 3.45 Å resolution using data obtained at ambient temperature at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). We find that this ambient-temperature structure is largely consistent with existing cryogenic-temperature crystal structures, with key residues of the decoding complex exhibiting similar conformations, including adenosine residues 1492 and 1493. Minor variations were observed, namely an alternate conformation of cytosine 1397 near the mRNA channel and the A-site. Our serial crystallography experiment illustrates the amenability of ribosomal microcrystals to routine structural studies at ambient temperature, thus overcoming a long-standing experimental limitation to structural studies of RNA and RNA-protein complexes at near-physiological temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Han Dao
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Frédéric Poitevin
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
| | - Raymond G Sierra
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Cornelius Gati
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
- Biosciences Division, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Yashas Rao
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Halil Ibrahim Ciftci
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Fulya Akşit
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Alex McGurk
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Trevor Obrinski
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Paul Mgbam
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Brandon Hayes
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Casper De Lichtenberg
- Institutionen för Kemi, Kemiskt Biologiskt Centrum, Umeå Universitet, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fatima Pardo-Avila
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
| | - Nicholas Corsepius
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
| | - Lindsey Zhang
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Matthew H Seaberg
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Mark S Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Mengling Liang
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Jason E Koglin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Soichi Wakatsuki
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
- Biosciences Division, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Hasan Demirci
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
- Biosciences Division, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
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9
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Jia F, Xu D, Yue H, Wu H, Li G. Comparison of Flattening Filter and Flattening Filter-Free Volumetric Modulated Arc Radiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:8500-8505. [PMID: 30472719 PMCID: PMC6276721 DOI: 10.12659/msm.910218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic role of flattening filter-free (FFF) mode in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) compared with flattening filter (FF) mode in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Ten previously treated patients with NPC underwent treatment re-planning with FFF and FF VMAT. Radiotherapy dose distribution on planning target volume (PTV), organs at risk (OAR), target conformity index (CI), total monitor units (MUs), and therapeutic time were compared. RESULTS Maximum and mean radiotherapy dose in PTV and PGTV (primary lesions of NPC and cervical lymph node metastases) in FFF VMAT planning were significantly increased compared with FF VMAT planning, but PTV and OAR showed no significant differences. The CI value of PTV in FFF VMAT planning was significantly reduced compared with FF planning (P<0.05). No differences were found for the maximum radiotherapy dose in the spinal cord and left and right optic nerve, and the mean radiotherapy dose in the brainstem, left and right parotid gland (P>0.05). The maximum dose in the brainstem in the FFF planning was significantly higher compared with FF planning (P>0.05). The maximum radiotherapy dose in left and right crystalline lens (P<0.05) in FFF planning was significantly reduced compared with FF planning. The total hop count in FFF planning was significantly increased compared with FF planning (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both 6 MV X-ray FFF mode and FF mode in the treatment of patients with NPC showed that FFF VMAT planning provided improved protection for OAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Jia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Dandan Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Haizhen Yue
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Hao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Guowen Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
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Horrell S, Kekilli D, Sen K, Owen RL, Dworkowski FSN, Antonyuk SV, Keal TW, Yong CW, Eady RR, Hasnain SS, Strange RW, Hough MA. Enzyme catalysis captured using multiple structures from one crystal at varying temperatures. IUCRJ 2018; 5:283-292. [PMID: 29755744 PMCID: PMC5929374 DOI: 10.1107/s205225251800386x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution crystal structures of enzymes in relevant redox states have transformed our understanding of enzyme catalysis. Recent developments have demonstrated that X-rays can be used, via the generation of solvated electrons, to drive reactions in crystals at cryogenic temperatures (100 K) to generate 'structural movies' of enzyme reactions. However, a serious limitation at these temperatures is that protein conformational motion can be significantly supressed. Here, the recently developed MSOX (multiple serial structures from one crystal) approach has been applied to nitrite-bound copper nitrite reductase at room temperature and at 190 K, close to the glass transition. During both series of multiple structures, nitrite was initially observed in a 'top-hat' geometry, which was rapidly transformed to a 'side-on' configuration before conversion to side-on NO, followed by dissociation of NO and substitution by water to reform the resting state. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the top-hat orientation corresponds to the oxidized type 2 copper site, while the side-on orientation is consistent with the reduced state. It is demonstrated that substrate-to-product conversion within the crystal occurs at a lower radiation dose at 190 K, allowing more of the enzyme catalytic cycle to be captured at high resolution than in the previous 100 K experiment. At room temperature the reaction was very rapid, but it remained possible to generate and characterize several structural states. These experiments open up the possibility of obtaining MSOX structural movies at multiple temperatures (MSOX-VT), providing an unparallelled level of structural information during catalysis for redox enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Horrell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, England
| | - Demet Kekilli
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, England
| | - Kakali Sen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, England
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, England
| | - Robin L. Owen
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, England
| | | | - Svetlana V. Antonyuk
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
| | - Thomas W. Keal
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, England
| | - Chin W. Yong
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, England
| | - Robert R. Eady
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
| | - S. Samar Hasnain
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
| | - Richard W. Strange
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, England
| | - Michael A. Hough
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, England
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11
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Warkentin MA, Atakisi H, Hopkins JB, Walko D, Thorne RE. Lifetimes and spatio-temporal response of protein crystals in intense X-ray microbeams. IUCRJ 2017; 4:785-794. [PMID: 29123681 PMCID: PMC5668864 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252517013495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Serial synchrotron-based crystallography using intense microfocused X-ray beams, fast-framing detectors and protein microcrystals held at 300 K promises to expand the range of accessible structural targets and to increase overall structure-pipeline throughputs. To explore the nature and consequences of X-ray radiation damage under microbeam illumination, the time-, dose- and temperature-dependent evolution of crystal diffraction have been measured with maximum dose rates of 50 MGy s-1. At all temperatures and dose rates, the integrated diffraction intensity for a fixed crystal orientation shows non-exponential decays with dose. Non-exponential decays are a consequence of non-uniform illumination and the resulting spatial evolution of diffracted intensity within the illuminated crystal volume. To quantify radiation-damage lifetimes and the damage state of diffracting crystal regions, a revised diffraction-weighted dose (DWD) is defined and it is shown that for Gaussian beams the DWD becomes nearly independent of actual dose at large doses. An apparent delayed onset of radiation damage seen in some intensity-dose curves is in fact a consequence of damage. Intensity fluctuations at high dose rates may arise from the impulsive release of gaseous damage products. Accounting for these effects, data collection at the highest dose rates increases crystal radiation lifetimes near 300 K (but not at 100 K) by a factor of ∼1.5-2 compared with those observed at conventional dose rates. Improved quantification and modeling of the complex spatio-temporal evolution of protein microcrystal diffraction in intense microbeams will enable more efficient data collection, and will be essential in improving the accuracy of structure factors and structural models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Warkentin
- Physics Department, Cornell University, Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Rubota Corporation, 1260 NW Naito Parkway #609, Portland, OR 97209, USA
| | - Hakan Atakisi
- Physics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Donald Walko
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
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12
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Atomic structure of granulin determined from native nanocrystalline granulovirus using an X-ray free-electron laser. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:2247-2252. [PMID: 28202732 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1609243114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand how molecules function in biological systems, new methods are required to obtain atomic resolution structures from biological material under physiological conditions. Intense femtosecond-duration pulses from X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) can outrun most damage processes, vastly increasing the tolerable dose before the specimen is destroyed. This in turn allows structure determination from crystals much smaller and more radiation sensitive than previously considered possible, allowing data collection from room temperature structures and avoiding structural changes due to cooling. Regardless, high-resolution structures obtained from XFEL data mostly use crystals far larger than 1 μm3 in volume, whereas the X-ray beam is often attenuated to protect the detector from damage caused by intense Bragg spots. Here, we describe the 2 Å resolution structure of native nanocrystalline granulovirus occlusion bodies (OBs) that are less than 0.016 μm3 in volume using the full power of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and a dose up to 1.3 GGy per crystal. The crystalline shell of granulovirus OBs consists, on average, of about 9,000 unit cells, representing the smallest protein crystals to yield a high-resolution structure by X-ray crystallography to date. The XFEL structure shows little to no evidence of radiation damage and is more complete than a model determined using synchrotron data from recombinantly produced, much larger, cryocooled granulovirus granulin microcrystals. Our measurements suggest that it should be possible, under ideal experimental conditions, to obtain data from protein crystals with only 100 unit cells in volume using currently available XFELs and suggest that single-molecule imaging of individual biomolecules could almost be within reach.
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Sierra RG, Gati C, Laksmono H, Dao EH, Gul S, Fuller F, Kern J, Chatterjee R, Ibrahim M, Brewster AS, Young ID, Michels-Clark T, Aquila A, Liang M, Hunter MS, Koglin JE, Boutet S, Junco EA, Hayes B, Bogan MJ, Hampton CY, Puglisi EV, Sauter NK, Stan CA, Zouni A, Yano J, Yachandra VK, Soltis SM, Puglisi JD, DeMirci H. Concentric-flow electrokinetic injector enables serial crystallography of ribosome and photosystem II. Nat Methods 2016; 13:59-62. [PMID: 26619013 PMCID: PMC4890631 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.3667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We describe a concentric-flow electrokinetic injector for efficiently delivering microcrystals for serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography analysis that enables studies of challenging biological systems in their unadulterated mother liquor. We used the injector to analyze microcrystals of Geobacillus stearothermophilus thermolysin (2.2-Å structure), Thermosynechococcus elongatus photosystem II (<3-Å diffraction) and Thermus thermophilus small ribosomal subunit bound to the antibiotic paromomycin at ambient temperature (3.4-Å structure).
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G. Sierra
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Cornelius Gati
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hartawan Laksmono
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - E. Han Dao
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Jan Kern
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | | | - Mohamed Ibrahim
- Institute für Biologie, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Iris D. Young
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Aquila
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Mengning Liang
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Mark S. Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Jason E. Koglin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Sébastien Boutet
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Elia A. Junco
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Hayes
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Michael J. Bogan
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Christina Y. Hampton
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Elisabetta V. Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Claudiu A. Stan
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Athina Zouni
- Institute für Biologie, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Junko Yano
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - S. Michael Soltis
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Joseph D. Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hasan DeMirci
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth F. Garman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin Weik
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, IBS, Grenoble, France
- CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
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Garman EF, Weik M. Radiation damage to macromolecules: kill or cure? JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2015; 22:195-200. [PMID: 25723921 DOI: 10.1107/s160057751500380x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Radiation damage induced by X-ray beams during macromolecular diffraction experiments remains an issue of concern in structural biology. While advances in our understanding of this phenomenon, driven in part by a series of workshops in this area, undoubtedly have been and are still being made, there are still questions to be answered. Eight papers in this volume give a flavour of ongoing investigations, addressing various issues. These range over: a proposed new metric derived from atomic B-factors for identifying potentially damaged amino acid residues, a study of the relative damage susceptibility of protein and DNA in a DNA/protein complex, a report of an indication of specific radiation damage to a protein determined from data collected using an X-ray free-electron laser (FEL), an account of the challenges in FEL raw diffraction data analysis, an exploration of the possibilities of using radiation damage induced phasing to solve structures using FELs, simulations of radiation damage as a function of FEL temporal pulse profiles, results on the influence of radiation damage during scanning X-ray diffraction measurements and, lastly, consideration of strategies for minimizing radiation damage during SAXS experiments. In this short introduction, these contributions are briefly placed in the context of other current work on radiation damage in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth F Garman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Martin Weik
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS, F-38044 Grenoble, France
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