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12 pages, 2347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crystallographic Data Collection Using a Multilayer Monochromator on an Undulator Beamline at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

by Chenyu Zhang, Qin Xu, Weiwei Wang, Miao Liang, Li Yu, Minjun Li, Zhimin Zhu, Liqing Huang, Qianhui Li, Feng Yu, Yuzhu Wang, Huan Zhou and Qisheng Wang

Crystals 2024, 14(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14020199 - 19 Feb 2024

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Abstract

To resolve photons hungry for weak diffraction samples by the crystallographic method, a double-multilayer monochromator (DMM) was employed on an undulator beamline (BL17UM) at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) to provide a focused sub-micron beam with high brightness for macromolecular crystallography experiments. [...] Read more.

To resolve photons hungry for weak diffraction samples by the crystallographic method, a double-multilayer monochromator (DMM) was employed on an undulator beamline (BL17UM) at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) to provide a focused sub-micron beam with high brightness for macromolecular crystallography experiments. High-quality crystallographic datasets from model protein crystal samples were collected and processed by an existing crystallographic program for structure solution and refinement. The data quality was compared with datasets from a normal silicon crystal monochromator to evaluate the bandwidth of the DMM effect on these crystallographic data. This experiment demonstrates that multilayer optics on an undulator beamline may play a valuable role in satisfying the demands of structure-related research, which requires novel methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Protein Crystallography)

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12 pages, 3460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fixed-Target Pink-Beam Serial Synchrotron Crystallography at Pohang Light Source II

by Yongsam Kim and Ki Hyun Nam

Crystals 2023, 13(11), 1544; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13111544 - 27 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 851

Abstract

Serial crystallography (SX) enables the determination of the structure of macromolecules or small molecules with minimal radiation damage. In particular, biomolecule structures determined using the SX technique have the advantage of providing room-temperature crystal structures with high biological relevance. The SX technique requires [...] Read more.

Serial crystallography (SX) enables the determination of the structure of macromolecules or small molecules with minimal radiation damage. In particular, biomolecule structures determined using the SX technique have the advantage of providing room-temperature crystal structures with high biological relevance. The SX technique requires numerous crystals to be collected to complete three-dimensional structural information. To minimize crystal sample consumption, we introduced SX data collection with fixed-target (FT) pink-beam serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) at the 1C beamline of Pohang Light Source II. A new sample holder consisting of a magnetic frame with a nylon mesh was developed for easy sample handling. The FT-pink-SSX diffraction data were collected by continuously scanning X-rays using a stepping motor. The room-temperature structures of glucose isomerase and lysozyme were successfully determined at a resolution of 1.7 and 2.2 Å, respectively. The use of pink-beam FT-SSX in experimental applications and data acquisition for large beam sizes is discussed. Our results provide useful information for future pink-beam SSX and SX data collection using large X-ray beams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Protein Crystallography)

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11 pages, 3099 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crystal Structure and Sequence Analysis of N⁵, N¹⁰-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase/Cyclohydrolase Enzyme from Porphyromonas gingivalis

by Sehyeok Im, Hackwon Do, Jisub Hwang, Youn-Soo Shim and Jun Hyuck Lee

Crystals 2023, 13(10), 1489; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13101489 - 13 Oct 2023

Viewed by 838

Abstract

The methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase–cyclohydrolase (FolD) enzyme has a dual activity of N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase and cyclohydrolase. This enzyme plays a critical role in the chemical modification of tetrahydrofolate, which is an important coenzyme involved in the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and amino acids. Therefore, bacterial [...] Read more.

The methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase–cyclohydrolase (FolD) enzyme has a dual activity of N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase and cyclohydrolase. This enzyme plays a critical role in the chemical modification of tetrahydrofolate, which is an important coenzyme involved in the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and amino acids. Therefore, bacterial FolD has been studied as a potential drug target for the development of antibiotics. Here, we determined the crystal structure of FolD (PgFolD) from the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis at 2.05 Å resolution using the molecular replacement method. The crystal structure of PgFolD was successfully refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 21.4% (R_free = 23.8%). The crystals belong to the space group of P4₃22 with the unit cell parameters of a = 110.7 Å, b = 110.7 Å, and c = 69.8 Å, containing one subunit in the asymmetric unit. Our analytical size-exclusion chromatography results indicated that PgFolD forms a stable dimer in solution. Additionally, structural and sequence comparison studies with previously known FolDs revealed that PgFolD has a different substrate-binding site residue composition. These findings provide valuable insights for the structure-based development of specific inhibitors against the Porphyromonas gingivalis pathogen. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Protein Crystallography)

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