The proteome remains a mysterious realm. Researchers have determined the structures of only a small fraction of the proteins encoded by the human genome. Crystallography continues to be the primary method used to determine the structures of the remaining unknown proteins. This imaging technique uses the diffraction of X-rays to determine a protein's three-dimensional molecular structure.
Drawing on years of research and teaching experience, Eaton E. Lattman and Patrick J. Loll use clear examples and abundant illustrations to provide a concise and accessible primer on protein crystallography. Discussing the basics of diffraction, the behavior of two- and three-dimensional crystals, phase determination (including MIR and MAD phasing and molecular replacement), the Patterson function, and refinement, Lattman and Loll provide a complete overview of this important technique, illuminated by physical insights.
The crisp writing style and simple illustrations will provide beginner crystallographers with a guide to the process of unraveling protein structure.
Author(s): Eaton E. Lattman, Patrick J. Loll
Publisher: JHUP
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 149
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
1.1 What Is X-ray Crystallography?......Page 14
1.2 A Quick Look at Protein Crystals......Page 25
1.3 Noncrystalline Specimens......Page 28
Further Reading......Page 30
2.1 What Is Diffraction?......Page 32
2.2 Diffraction from One-Dimensional Crystals......Page 38
2.3 Reconstructing Images from Diffraction Patterns......Page 42
2.4 Summary......Page 48
Further Reading......Page 49
3.1 The Electron Density Function in Three Dimensions......Page 50
3.2 Calculating the Diffraction Pattern from a Known Structure......Page 62
3.3 Summary......Page 66
Further Reading......Page 67
4.1 Measuring the Phases......Page 68
4.2 MAD Phasing......Page 74
4.3 Fitting Models to Experimental Electron Density Maps......Page 81
Further Reading......Page 83
5.1 Definition of the Patterson Function......Page 85
5.2 Using the Patterson Function to Locate Atoms......Page 89
5.3 Summary......Page 94
Further Reading......Page 95
6.1 Difference Fourier Maps......Page 96
6.2 Molecular Replacement......Page 100
Further Reading......Page 114
7.1 Refinement Improves the Model......Page 115
7.2 Least-Squares Refinement......Page 116
7.3 Summary......Page 124
Further Reading......Page 125
B......Page 126
C......Page 127
D......Page 128
E......Page 129
H......Page 130
I......Page 131
L......Page 132
M......Page 133
N......Page 134
P......Page 135
R......Page 136
S......Page 140
W......Page 142
D......Page 144
G......Page 145
O......Page 146
S......Page 147
W......Page 148
Z......Page 149
