Download MendeleyApocrustacyanin C(1) Crystals Grown in Space and on Earth Using Vapour-Diffusion Geometry: Protein Structure Refinements and Electron-Density Map Comparisons
Habash, J., Boggon, T.J., Raftery, J., Chayen, N.E., Zagalsky, P.F., Helliwell, J.R.(2003) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 59: 1117
- PubMed: 12832753
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/s0907444903007959
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1OBQ, 1OBU - PubMed Abstract:
Models of apocrustacyanin C(1) were refined against X-ray data recorded on Bending Magnet 14 at the ESRF to resolutions of 1.85 and 2 A from a space-grown and an earth-grown crystal, respectively, both using vapour-diffusion crystal-growth geometry. The space crystals were grown in the APCF on the NASA Space Shuttle. The microgravity crystal growth showed a cyclic nature attributed to Marangoni convection, thus reducing the benefits of the microgravity environment, as reported previously [Chayen et al. (1996), Q. Rev. Biophys. 29, 227-278]. A subsequent mosaicity evaluation, also reported previously, showed only a partial improvement in the space-grown crystals over the earth-grown crystals [Snell et al. (1997), Acta Cryst. D53, 231-239], contrary to the case for lysozyme crystals grown in space with liquid-liquid diffusion, i.e. without any major motion during growth [Snell et al. (1995), Acta Cryst. D52, 1099-1102]. In this paper, apocrustacyanin C(1) electron-density maps from the two refined models are now compared. It is concluded that the electron-density maps of the protein and the bound waters are found to be better overall for the structures of apocrustacyanin C(1) studied from the space-grown crystal compared with those from the earth-grown crystal, even though both crystals were grown using vapour-diffusion crystal-growth geometry. The improved residues are on the surface of the protein, with two involved in or nearby crystal lattice-forming interactions, thus linking an improved crystal-growth mechanism to the molecular level. The structural comparison procedures developed should themselves be valuable for evaluating crystal-growth procedures in the future.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, England.
