title: An overview of heavy-atom derivatization of protein crystals.
abstract: Heavy-atom derivatization is one of the oldest techniques for obtaining phase information for protein crystals and, although it is no longer the first choice, it remains a useful technique for obtaining phases for unknown structures and for low-resolution data sets. It is also valuable for confirming the chain trace in low-resolution electron-density maps. This overview provides a summary of the technique and is aimed at first-time users of the method. It includes guidelines on when to use it, which heavy atoms are most likely to work, how to prepare heavy-atom solutions, how to derivatize crystals and how to determine whether a crystal is in fact a derivative.
authors.affiliation: Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX11 9HP, England.
authors.forename: Ashley C W
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, England.
authors.forename: Elspeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Garman
authors.affiliation: Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX11 9HP, England.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krojer
authors.affiliation: Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX11 9HP, England.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Delft
authors.affiliation: Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX11 9HP, England.
authors.forename: Elisabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Carpenter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001966:Bromine / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry; D008715:Methionine / Q000737:chemistry; D005741:Noble Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D005741:Noble Gases; D011506:Proteins; D012645:Selenomethionine; D007455:Iodine; D008715:Methionine; D001966:Bromine
keywords: crystallography; derivatization of crystals; heavy atoms; phasing techniques; protein crystals