Opening the high-pressure domain beyond 2 kbar to protein and virus crystallography--technical advance.
The combined use of a diamond anvil cell and ultrashort-wavelength undulator radiation has allowed the collection of high-resolution diffraction data from protein and virus crystals submitted to hydrostatic pressures beyond 2 kbar. Crystals of cubic cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can be compressed to at least 3.5 kbar. Diffraction from CPMV crystals displaying an unusual disorder at atmospheric pressure was considerably enhanced by application of pressure. These experiments suggest that pressure may be used in some cases to improve order in crystals.
Fourme
Roger
R
SYNCHROTRON SOLEIL, bât. 209H, Université Paris-Sud, 91898 Orsay cedex, France. roger.fourme@soleil.u-psud.fr
Ascone
Isabella
I
Kahn
Richard
R
Mezouar
Mohamed
M
Bouvier
Pierre
P
Girard
Eric
E
Lin
Tianwei
T
Johnson
John E
JE
D003461:Crystallography / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D014780:Viruses / Q000737:chemistry*
D011506:Proteins