1. Time-resolved protein nanocrystallography using an X-ray free-electron laser.
- Author
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Aquila A, Hunter MS, Doak RB, Kirian RA, Fromme P, White TA, Andreasson J, Arnlund D, Bajt S, Barends TR, Barthelmess M, Bogan MJ, Bostedt C, Bottin H, Bozek JD, Caleman C, Coppola N, Davidsson J, DePonte DP, Elser V, Epp SW, Erk B, Fleckenstein H, Foucar L, Frank M, Fromme R, Graafsma H, Grotjohann I, Gumprecht L, Hajdu J, Hampton CY, Hartmann A, Hartmann R, Hau-Riege S, Hauser G, Hirsemann H, Holl P, Holton JM, Hömke A, Johansson L, Kimmel N, Kassemeyer S, Krasniqi F, Kühnel KU, Liang M, Lomb L, Malmerberg E, Marchesini S, Martin AV, Maia FR, Messerschmidt M, Nass K, Reich C, Neutze R, Rolles D, Rudek B, Rudenko A, Schlichting I, Schmidt C, Schmidt KE, Schulz J, Seibert MM, Shoeman RL, Sierra R, Soltau H, Starodub D, Stellato F, Stern S, Strüder L, Timneanu N, Ullrich J, Wang X, Williams GJ, Weidenspointner G, Weierstall U, Wunderer C, Barty A, Spence JC, and Chapman HN
- Subjects
- Electrons, Protein Conformation, X-Rays, Crystallography, X-Ray methods, Ferredoxins ultrastructure, Lasers, Nanostructures ultrastructure, X-Ray Diffraction methods
- Abstract
We demonstrate the use of an X-ray free electron laser synchronized with an optical pump laser to obtain X-ray diffraction snapshots from the photoactivated states of large membrane protein complexes in the form of nanocrystals flowing in a liquid jet. Light-induced changes of Photosystem I-Ferredoxin co-crystals were observed at time delays of 5 to 10 µs after excitation. The result correlates with the microsecond kinetics of electron transfer from Photosystem I to ferredoxin. The undocking process that follows the electron transfer leads to large rearrangements in the crystals that will terminally lead to the disintegration of the crystals. We describe the experimental setup and obtain the first time-resolved femtosecond serial X-ray crystallography results from an irreversible photo-chemical reaction at the Linac Coherent Light Source. This technique opens the door to time-resolved structural studies of reaction dynamics in biological systems.
- Published
- 2012
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