title: Development of an automated large-scale protein-crystallization and monitoring system for high-throughput protein-structure analyses.
abstract: Protein crystallization remains one of the bottlenecks in crystallographic analysis of macromolecules. An automated large-scale protein-crystallization system named PXS has been developed consisting of the following subsystems, which proceed in parallel under unified control software: dispensing precipitants and protein solutions, sealing crystallization plates, carrying robot, incubators, observation system and image-storage server. A sitting-drop crystallization plate specialized for PXS has also been designed and developed. PXS can set up 7680 drops for vapour diffusion per hour, which includes time for replenishing supplies such as disposable tips and crystallization plates. Images of the crystallization drops are automatically recorded according to a preprogrammed schedule and can be viewed by users remotely using web-based browser software. A number of protein crystals were successfully produced and several protein structures could be determined directly from crystals grown by PXS. In other cases, X-ray quality crystals were obtained by further optimization by manual screening based on the conditions found by PXS.
authors.affiliation: Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagae
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tamami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uejima
authors.forename: Shunichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Leonard M G
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chavas
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akutsu
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsugaki
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakatsuki
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D003201:Computers; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D030562:Databases, Protein; D020407:Internet; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012984:Software; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014584:User-Computer Interface
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins