电场中的蛋白质结晶

人们一直致力于寻求提高蛋白质晶体质量的方法,利用电场诱导蛋白质结晶即是诸多方法中的一种。已有文献报道显示,电场对蛋白质结晶的影响是积极的。我们从直流电场、交流电场、内置电场、外置电场对蛋白质结晶的影响及相关结晶设备,电场中生长的蛋白质晶体质量的评估,电场中蛋白质结晶的原理及影响因素等方面,对已报道的电场中的蛋白质结晶研究工作进行了总结。     

分子生物学在蛋白质结晶中的应用

获得具有高分辨率的蛋白质晶体是目前蛋白质结构测定的主要瓶颈 . 蛋白质结晶受很多因素影响,蛋白质自身是结晶时最重要的变量,可以说,蛋白质的内在特性在某种程度上决定了其能否结晶以及所得晶体分辨率的高低 . 近年来分子生物学尤其是蛋白质工程的应用有效地提高蛋白质的溶解度、均一性及可结晶性等内在特性,促进蛋白质的结晶,成为提高蛋白质结晶能力和蛋白质晶体分辨率的有效途径 .     

离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯代盐对溶菌酶结晶的影响

以亲水性离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐(BmimCl)为添加剂,研究离子液体对溶菌酶结晶的影响.分别考察了离子液体对溶菌酶晶体数量与尺寸、晶体形貌及蛋白质纯度的影响,并探讨了离子液体对结晶过程影响的作用机制.离子液体通过增大溶菌酶的溶解度和其自身低蒸气压两种途径,降低了溶菌酶在结晶过程中的过饱和度,更有利于晶体的成核和生长,得到更好的结果.如避免多晶态现象的发生,增大晶体的尺寸,降低溶菌酶样品纯度的要求.X-射线衍射分析表明,离子液体未改变晶体的晶型结构,但可提高晶体的衍射分辨率.     

离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐对溶菌酶结晶的影响

以亲水性离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐(BmimCl)为添加剂,研究离子液体对溶菌酶结晶的影响.分别考察了离子液体对溶菌酶晶体数量与尺寸、晶体形貌及蛋白质纯度的影响,并探讨了离子液体对结晶过程影响的作用机制.离子液体通过增大溶菌酶的溶解度和其自身低蒸气压两种途径,降低了溶菌酶在结晶过程中的过饱和度,更有利于晶体的成核和生长,得到更好的结果.如避免多晶态现象的发生,增大晶体的尺寸,降低溶菌酶样品纯度的要求.X-射线衍射分析表明,离子液体未改变晶体的晶型结构,但可提高晶体的衍射分辨率.     

杂质对蛋白质晶体影响研究进展

综述了杂质对蛋白质晶体生长影响研究领域的进展情况. 对可能的杂质来源以及杂质对结晶过程的影响进行了介绍.重点介绍了和结晶蛋白质分子结构相似的杂质分子的影响, 包括晶体成核、生长形态、表面形貌、生长动力学、质量等,以及杂质在晶体中的重新分配.     

蛋白质大分子的结晶

近几年研究蛋白质晶体的生长机理及过程日益受到重视 ,并逐步发展为蛋白质晶体学中的另一个重要的科学分支。1 .蛋白质结晶的基本过程蛋白质属于生物大分子 ,但其结晶的一般过程与盐、有机小分子等的结晶过程一样可分为 3个阶段进行 :( 1 )形成稳定的晶核 ;( 2 )由晶核生长为晶体 ;( 3)生长结束。1 .1　成核　　是指溶解在溶液中的分子或非晶态的低聚体 (二聚体 ,三聚体等 )以过饱和度为驱动力聚合在一起形成热力学稳态的点阵结构。Ｄｒｅｎｔｈ等[1] 研究发现 ,在蛋白质结晶后其溶液体系的自由能降低了 1 2～ 2 4ｋＪ/ｍｏｌ。另外 ,结晶蛋…     

我国第2次空间蛋白质晶体生长实验

1994年7月,在我国返回式卫星FSW-2上进行了第2次空间蛋白质结晶实验.该次实验中的晶体生长状况明显优于首次空间实验结果,参加实验的10种蛋白质中有9种蛋白质在空间长出了晶体,48个样品的单晶产生率达70％以上.其中3种蛋白质在空间长出较大单晶体,能用于X射线衍射实验和收集强度数据.这3种蛋白质中,除了在首次空间实验中长出较大晶体的溶菌酶,还有由于结晶条件优化而结晶效果明显改进的酸性磷脂酶A₂和斑头雁氧合血红蛋白.微重力条件对蛋白质晶体生长的良好效应在本次实验中得到进一步证实.     

蛋白质晶体培养方法的新进展

本文总结了最近以来国外在蛋白质晶体培养方面应用薄层凝胶等电聚焦电泳消除蛋白质样品的微观不均一性,改善晶体质量;在培养蛋白质晶体的溶液中加入适量的洗涤剂,β-辛基葡萄糖苷改善和改变水溶性蛋白质晶体生长的特性;采用聚乙二醇/洗涤剂,或者硫酸铵/洗涤剂体系培养膜蛋白晶体等新方法。     

蛋白质晶体的物理性质及其鉴别方法研究进展

蛋白质晶体由蛋白质分子有序排列的框架组成,其内部富含溶剂（水）分子,外观形貌多种多样,其物理性质与常规固态晶体相比有很大不同。我们针对蛋白质晶体的一些物理性质（包括低密度、机械性能、声学、热学、光学等性质）,进行了研究进展评述,并根据蛋白质晶体的特殊物理性质,评述了人们发展出的从蛋白质结晶液中区分蛋白质晶体的方法。     

不同重力条件下生长的溶菌酶晶体的结构

利用我国返回式卫星和国内研制的蛋白质结晶装置 ,先后进行了 2次空间蛋白质晶体生长实验 ,均获得了质量较好的溶菌酶晶体 .为了探索微重力对溶菌酶晶体结构的影响 ,对 2次空间生长的和地面实验室生长的溶菌酶晶体进行了高精度的晶体结构测定和研究     

Use of a fusion protein to obtain crystals suitable for X-ray analysis: crystallization of a GST-fused protein containing the DNA-binding domain of DNA replication-related element-binding factor, DREF.

Crystals of glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-fused protein containing the DNA-binding domain of DNA replication-related element-binding factor, DREF, were obtained under crystallization conditions similar to those for GST. Preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that crystals of the GST-fused protein belong to space group P6(1)22 or P6(5)22 with unit cell dimensions a = b = 140.4 A, c = 93.5 A and gamma = 120 degrees, having one molecule in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to 2.5 A resolution. The cell dimensions are related to those of GST crystals thus far reported. Crystallization of the DNA-binding domain that was cleaved from the fused protein by thrombin was also carried out using several methods under numerous conditions, but efforts to produce well-ordered large crystals were unsuccessful. A possible application of GST-fusion proteins for small target proteins or domains to obtain crystals suitable for X-ray structure determination is proposed.     

The use of recombinant methods and molecular engineering in protein crystallization

Recombinant techniques are routinely used for the preparation of protein samples for structural studies including X-ray crystallography. Among other benefits, these methods allow for a vast increase in the amount of obtained protein as compared to purification from source tissues, ease of purification when fusion proteins containing affinity tags are used, introduction of SeMet for phasing, and the opportunity to modify the protein to enhance its crystallizability. Protein engineering may involve removal of flexible regions including termini and interior loops, as well as replacement of residues that affect solubility. Moreover, modification of the protein surface to induce crystal growth may include rational engineering of surface patches that can readily mediate crystal contacts. The latter approach can be used to obtain proteins of crystals recalcitrant to crystallization or to obtain well-diffracting crystals in lieu of wild-type crystals yielding data to limited resolution. This review discusses recent advances in the field and describes a number of examples of diverse protein engineering techniques used in crystallographic investigations.     

蛋白质晶体的优化生长

蛋白质晶体的优化生长是获得高质量蛋白质晶体, 进而得到高精度晶体结构的有效途径.针对不同的晶体生长方法,已尝试了不同的优化手段,这对改善某些蛋白质晶体的质量显示了明显的成效.然而,鉴于蛋白质晶体生长的多样性与复杂性,这些方面均未发展成为实用的技术.文章综述了这类研究进展,分析了各手段的利弊,并指出了应着重解决的问题.     

Strategies for crystallizing membrane proteins

Crystallizing membrane proteins remains a challenging endeavor despite the increasing number of membrane protein structures solved by X-ray crystallography. The critical factors in determining the success of the crystallization experiments are the purification and preparation of membrane protein samples. Moreover, there is the added complication that the crystallization conditions must be optimized for use in the presence of detergents although the methods used to crystallize most membrane proteins are, in essence, straightforward applications of standard methodologies for soluble protein crystallization. The roles that detergents play in the stability and aggregation of membrane proteins as well as the colloidal properties of the protein-detergent complexes need to be appreciated and controlledbefore and during the crystallization trials. All X-ray quality crystals of membrane proteins were grown from preparations of detergent-solubilized protein, where the heterogeneous natural lipids from the membrane have been replaced by ahomogeneous detergent environment. It is the preparation of such monodisperse, isotropic solutions of membrane proteins that has allowed the successful application of the standard crystallization methods routinely used on soluble proteins. In this review, the issues of protein purification and sample preparation are addressed as well as the new refinements in crystallization methodologies for membrane proteins. How the physical behavior of the detergent, in the form of micelles or protein-detergent aggregates, affects crystallization and the adaptation of published protocols to new membrane protein systems are also addressed. The general conclusion is that many integral membrane proteins could be crystallized if pure and monodisperse preparations in a suitable detergent system can be prepared.In memory of Glenn D. Garavito.     

7A projection map of the S-layer protein sbpA obtained with trehalose-embedded monolayer crystals

Two-dimensional crystallization on lipid monolayers is a versatile tool to obtain structural information of proteins by electron microscopy. An inherent problem with this approach is to prepare samples in a way that preserves the crystalline order of the protein array and produces specimens that are sufficiently flat for high-resolution data collection at high tilt angles. As a test specimen to optimize the preparation of lipid monolayer crystals for electron microscopy imaging, we used the S-layer protein sbpA, a protein with potential for designing arrays of both biological and inorganic materials with engineered properties for a variety of nanotechnology applications. Sugar embedding is currently considered the best method to prepare two-dimensional crystals of membrane proteins reconstituted into lipid bilayers. We found that using a loop to transfer lipid monolayer crystals to an electron microscopy grid followed by embedding in trehalose and quick-freezing in liquid ethane also yielded the highest resolution images for sbpA lipid monolayer crystals. Using images of specimens prepared in this way we could calculate a projection map of sbpA at 7A resolution, one of the highest resolution projection structures obtained with lipid monolayer crystals to date.     

Automated analysis of vapor diffusion crystallization drops with an X-ray beam

Crystallogenesis, usually based on the vapor diffusion method, is currently considered one of the most difficult steps in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Due to the increasing number of crystallization assays performed by protein crystallographers, several automated analysis methods are under development. Most of these methods are based on microscope images and shape recognition. We propose an alternative method of identifying protein crystals: by directly exposing the crystallization drops to an X-ray beam. The resulting diffraction provides far more information than classical microscope images. Not only is the presence of diffracting crystals revealed, but also a first estimation of the space group, cell parameters, and mosaicity is obtained. In certain cases, it is also possible to collect enough data to verify the presence of a specific substrate or a heavy atom. All these steps are performed without the sometimes tedious necessity of removing crystals from their crystallization drop.     

7 Å projection map of the S-layer protein sbpA obtained with trehalose-embedded monolayer crystals

Two-dimensional crystallization on lipid monolayers is a versatile tool to obtain structural information of proteins by electron microscopy. An inherent problem with this approach is to prepare samples in a way that preserves the crystalline order of the protein array and produces specimens that are sufficiently flat for high-resolution data collection at high tilt angles. As a test specimen to optimize the preparation of lipid monolayer crystals for electron microscopy imaging, we used the S-layer protein sbpA, a protein with potential for designing arrays of both biological and inorganic materials with engineered properties for a variety of nanotechnology applications. Sugar embedding is currently considered the best method to prepare two-dimensional crystals of membrane proteins reconstituted into lipid bilayers. We found that using a loop to transfer lipid monolayer crystals to an electron microscopy grid followed by embedding in trehalose and quick-freezing in liquid ethane also yielded the highest resolution images for sbpA lipid monolayer crystals. Using images of specimens prepared in this way we could calculate a projection map of sbpA at 7 Å resolution, one of the highest resolution projection structures obtained with lipid monolayer crystals to date.     

Membrane protein crystallization

The need for high-resolution structure information on membrane proteins is immediate and growing. Currently, the only reliable way to get it is crystallographically. The rate-limiting step from protein to structure is crystal production. An overview of the current ideas and experimental approaches prevailing in the area of membrane protein crystallization is presented. The long-established surfactant-based method has been reviewed extensively and is not examined in detail here. The focus instead is on the latest methods, all of which exploit the spontaneous self-assembling properties of lipids and detergent as vesicles (vesicle-fusion method), discoidal micelles (bicelle method), and liquid crystals or mesophases (in meso or cubic-phase method). In the belief that a knowledge of the underlying phase science is integral to understanding the molecular basis of these assorted crystallization strategies, the article begins with a brief primer on lipids, mesophases, and phase science, and the related issue of form and function as applied to lipids is addressed. The experimental challenges associated with and the solutions for procuring adequate amounts of homogeneous membrane proteins, or parts thereof, are examined. The cubic-phase method is described from the following perspectives: how it is done in practice, its general applicability and successes to date, and the nature of the mesophases integral to the process. Practical aspects of the method are examined with regard to salt, detergent, and screen solution effects; crystallization at low temperatures; tailoring the cubic phase to suit the target protein; different cubic-phase types; dealing with low-protein samples, colorless proteins, microcrystals, and radiation damage; transport within the cubic phase for drug design, cofactor retention, and phasing; using spectroscopy for quality control; harvesting crystals; and miniaturization and robotization for high-throughput screening. The section ends with a hypothesis for nucleation and growth of membrane protein crystals in meso. Thus far, the bicelle and vesicle-fusion methods have produced crystals of one membrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin. The experimental details of both methods are reviewed and their general applicability in the future is commented on. The three new methods are rationalized by analogy to crystallization in microgravity and with respect to epitaxy. A list of Web resources in the area of membrane protein crystallogenesis is included.     

Enhanced crystallizability by protein engineering approaches: a general overview

The limiting step in macromolecular crystallography is the preparation protein crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction studies. A strong prerequisite for the success of crystallization experiments is the ability to produce monodisperse and properly folded protein samples. Since the production of most protein is usually achieved using recombinant methods, it has become possible to engineer target proteins with increased propensities to form well diffracting crystals. Recent advances in bioinformatics, which takes advantage from an enhanced information in the protein databases, are of enormous help for the design of modified proteins. Based on bioinformatics analyses, the reduction of the structural complexity of proteins or their site-specific mutagenesis has proven to have a dramatic impact on both the yield of heterologous protein expression and its crystallizability. Therefore, protein engineering represents a valid tool which supports the classical crystallization screenings with a more rational approach. This review describes key methods of protein-engineering and provides a number of examples of their successful use in crystallization. Scope of proposed topic: This Topic is focused on state-of-art protein engineering techniques to increase the propensity of proteins to form crystals with suitable X-ray diffraction properties. Protein engineering methods have proven to be of great help for the crystallization of difficult targets. We herein review molecular biology and chemical methods to help protein crystallization.