Structure of a photosynthetic reaction centre determined by serial femtosecond crystallography

Nat Commun. 2013:4:2911. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3911.

Abstract

Serial femtosecond crystallography is an X-ray free-electron-laser-based method with considerable potential to have an impact on challenging problems in structural biology. Here we present X-ray diffraction data recorded from microcrystals of the Blastochloris viridis photosynthetic reaction centre to 2.8 Å resolution and determine its serial femtosecond crystallography structure to 3.5 Å resolution. Although every microcrystal is exposed to a dose of 33 MGy, no signs of X-ray-induced radiation damage are visible in this integral membrane protein structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray / methods*
  • Hyphomicrobiaceae / chemistry*
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins

Associated data

  • PDB/4CAS