title: Phase sensitive x-ray diffraction imaging of defects in biological macromolecular crystals.
abstract: Conventional x-ray diffraction topography is currently used to map defects in the bulk of protein crystals, but the lack of sufficient contrast is frequently a limiting factor. We experimentally demonstrate that this barrier can be circumvented using a method that combines phase sensitive and diffraction imaging principles. Details of defects revealed in tetragonal lysozyme and cubic ferritin crystals are presented and discussed. The approach enabling the detection of the phase changes of diffracted x rays should prove to be useful in the study of defect structures in a broad range of biological macromolecular crystals.
authors.affiliation: University Space Research Association, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, USA. zhengwei.hu@msfc.nasa.gov
authors.forename: Z W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chernov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003460:Crystallization; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; D009113:Muramidase