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Acehan D, Spoth KA, Budziszewski GR, Snell ME, Campomizzi CS, Lynch ML, Bowman SE. Reaching the potential of electron diffraction. CELL REPORTS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2024; 5:102007. [PMID: 39055735 PMCID: PMC11271257 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) is an emerging structural technique in which submicron crystals are used to generate diffraction data for structural studies. Structures allow for the study of molecular-level architecture and drive hypotheses about modes of action, mechanisms, dynamics, and interactions with other molecules. Combining cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) instrumentation with crystallographic techniques, MicroED has led to three-dimensional structural models of small molecules, peptides, and proteins and has generated tremendous interest due to its ability to use vanishingly small crystals. In this perspective, we describe the current state of the field for MicroED methodologies, including making and detecting crystals of the appropriate size for the technique, as well as ways to best handle and characterize these crystals. Our perspective provides insight into ways to unlock the full range of potential for MicroED to access previously intractable samples and describes areas of future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devrim Acehan
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, Department of Structural Biology, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Miranda L. Lynch
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, Department of Structural Biology, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Sarah E.J. Bowman
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, Department of Structural Biology, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, Department of Biochemistry, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
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2
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Krysiak Y, Plana-Ruiz S, Fink L, Alig E, Bahnmüller U, Kolb U, Schmidt MU. High Temperature Electron Diffraction on Organic Crystals: In Situ Crystal Structure Determination of Pigment Orange 34. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:9880-9887. [PMID: 38536667 PMCID: PMC11009952 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Small molecule structures and their applications rely on good knowledge of their atomic arrangements. However, the crystal structures of these compounds and materials, which are often composed of fine crystalline domains, cannot be determined with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) is already becoming a reliable method for the structure analysis of submicrometer-sized organic materials. The reduction of electron beam damage is essential for successful structure determination and often prevents the analysis of organic materials at room temperature, not to mention high temperature studies. In this work, we apply advanced 3D ED methods at different temperatures enabling the accurate structure determination of two phases of Pigment Orange 34 (C34H28N8O2Cl2), a biphenyl pyrazolone pigment that has been industrially produced for more than 80 years and used for plastics application. The crystal structure of the high-temperature phase, which can be formed during plastic coloration, was determined at 220 °C. For the first time, we were able to observe a reversible phase transition in an industrial organic pigment in the solid state, even with atomic resolution, despite crystallites being submicrometer in size. By localizing hydrogen atoms, we were even able to detect the tautomeric state of the molecules at different temperatures. This demonstrates that precise, fast, and low-dose 3D ED measurements enable high-temperature studies the door for general in situ studies of nanocrystalline materials at the atomic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaşar Krysiak
- Institute
of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz University
Hannover, Callinstraße 9, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Sergi Plana-Ruiz
- Department
of Materials and Geoscience, Technische
Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- LENS,
MIND/IN2UB, Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica i Biomèdica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lothar Fink
- Institute
of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Goethe
University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Edith Alig
- Institute
of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Goethe
University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ulrich Bahnmüller
- Institute
of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz University
Hannover, Callinstraße 9, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Kolb
- Department
of Materials and Geoscience, Technische
Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute
of Inorganic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin U. Schmidt
- Institute
of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Goethe
University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Plana-Ruiz S, Gómez-Pérez A, Budayova-Spano M, Foley DL, Portillo-Serra J, Rauch E, Grivas E, Housset D, Das PP, Taheri ML, Nicolopoulos S, Ling WL. High-Resolution Electron Diffraction of Hydrated Protein Crystals at Room Temperature. ACS NANO 2023; 17:24802-24813. [PMID: 37890869 PMCID: PMC10753879 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c05378] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Structural characterization is crucial to understanding protein function. Compared with X-ray diffraction methods, electron crystallography can be performed on nanometer-sized crystals and can provide additional information from the resulting Coulomb potential map. Whereas electron crystallography has successfully resolved three-dimensional structures of vitrified protein crystals, its widespread use as a structural biology tool has been limited. One main reason is the fragility of such crystals. Protein crystals can be easily damaged by mechanical stress, change in temperature, or buffer conditions as well as by electron irradiation. This work demonstrates a methodology to preserve these nanocrystals in their natural environment at room temperature for electron diffraction experiments as an alternative to existing cryogenic techniques. Lysozyme crystals in their crystallization solution are hermetically sealed via graphene-coated grids, and their radiation damage is minimized by employing a low-dose data collection strategy in combination with a hybrid-pixel direct electron detector. Diffraction patterns with reflections of up to 3 Å are obtained and successfully indexed using a template-matching algorithm. These results demonstrate the feasibility of in situ protein electron diffraction. The method described will also be applicable to structural studies of hydrated nanocrystals important in many research and technological developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Plana-Ruiz
- NanoMegas
SRPL, Rue Emile Claus
49, Brussels 1050, Belgium
- Servei
de Recursos Científics i Tècnics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43007, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | - Daniel L. Foley
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | | | - Edgar Rauch
- SIMAP,
Grenoble INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | | | | | - Mitra L. Taheri
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | | | - Wai Li Ling
- Université
Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
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5
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Abstract
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Electron crystallography
has a storied history which rivals that
of its more established X-ray-enabled counterpart. Recent advances
in data collection and analysis have sparked a renaissance in the
field, opening a new chapter for this venerable technique. Burgeoning
interest in electron crystallography has spawned innovative methods
described by various interchangeable labels (3D ED, MicroED, cRED,
etc.). This Review covers concepts and findings relevant to the practicing
crystallographer, with an emphasis on experiments aimed at using electron
diffraction to elucidate the atomic structure of three-dimensional
molecular crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambarneil Saha
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Shervin S Nia
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - José A Rodríguez
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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Chua EYD, Mendez JH, Rapp M, Ilca SL, Tan YZ, Maruthi K, Kuang H, Zimanyi CM, Cheng A, Eng ET, Noble AJ, Potter CS, Carragher B. Better, Faster, Cheaper: Recent Advances in Cryo-Electron Microscopy. Annu Rev Biochem 2022; 91:1-32. [PMID: 35320683 PMCID: PMC10393189 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-110705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) continues its remarkable growth as a method for visualizing biological objects, which has been driven by advances across the entire pipeline. Developments in both single-particle analysis and in situ tomography have enabled more structures to be imaged and determined to better resolutions, at faster speeds, and with more scientists having improved access. This review highlights recent advances at each stageof the cryo-EM pipeline and provides examples of how these techniques have been used to investigate real-world problems, including antibody development against the SARS-CoV-2 spike during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Y D Chua
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua H Mendez
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
| | - Micah Rapp
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serban L Ilca
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yong Zi Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Kashyap Maruthi
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Huihui Kuang
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina M Zimanyi
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anchi Cheng
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edward T Eng
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex J Noble
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for In-Situ Tomographic Ultramicroscopy, New York, NY, USA
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clinton S Potter
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for In-Situ Tomographic Ultramicroscopy, New York, NY, USA
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bridget Carragher
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA; , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for CryoEM Access and Training, New York, NY, USA
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York, NY, USA
- National Center for In-Situ Tomographic Ultramicroscopy, New York, NY, USA
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York, NY, USA
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