title: Time-resolved structural studies with serial crystallography: A new light on retinal proteins.
abstract: Structural information of the different conformational states of the two prototypical light-sensitive membrane proteins, bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin, has been obtained in the past by X-ray cryo-crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. However, these methods do not allow for the structure determination of most intermediate conformations. Recently, the potential of X-Ray Free Electron Lasers (X-FELs) for tracking the dynamics of light-triggered processes by pump-probe serial femtosecond crystallography has been demonstrated using 3D-micron-sized crystals. In addition, X-FELs provide new opportunities for protein 2D-crystal diffraction, which would allow to observe the course of conformational changes of membrane proteins in a close-to-physiological lipid bilayer environment. Here, we describe the strategies towards structural dynamic studies of retinal proteins at room temperature, using injector or fixed-target based serial femtosecond crystallography at X-FELs. Thanks to recent progress especially in sample delivery methods, serial crystallography is now also feasible at synchrotron X-ray sources, thus expanding the possibilities for time-resolved structure determination.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panneels
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ching-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Przemek
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nogly
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rheinberger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cicchetti
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gati
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Leonhard M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kick
authors.affiliation: Scientific Computing, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capitani
authors.affiliation: SwissFEL Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.affiliation: Lab for Micro- and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Celestino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Padeste
authors.affiliation: SwissFEL Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pedrini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Standfuss
authors.affiliation: SwissFEL Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abela
authors.forename: Gebhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schertler