Acta Crystallographica Section D

Biological Crystallography

Volume 63, Part 3 (March 2007)

research papers

 

A methodology and an instrument for the temperature-controlled optimization of crystal growth

M. Budayova-Spano, F. Dauvergne, M. Audiffren, T. Bactivelane and S. Cusack

Abstract: A method and a device for the promotion of crystal growth by keeping the crystallization solution metastable during the growth process are described. This is achieved by controlled temperature variation of the crystallization solution using parameters determined in situ during the growth process. The technique finds application in the growth of large high-quality crystals for neutron crystallography. Thus, it has been applied to grow large crystals of several proteins of interest such as human -crystallin E, PA-IIL lectin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, yeast inorganic pyrophosphatase, urate oxidase from Aspergillus flavus and human carbonic anhydrase II.

Keywords: crystal-growth optimization; temperature control; neutron crystallography.

	AVI file (217.7 kbytes) [ doi:10.1107/S0907444906054230/fw5105sup4.avi ] Supplementary Movie 3. The processes for micromanipulation: removal of crystals.
	AVI file (5397.9 kbytes) [ doi:10.1107/S0907444906054230/fw5105sup2.avi ] Supplementary Movie 1. Series of photographs taken to detect the boundaries of the metastable domain of perdeuterated -crystallin E recorded over 10 d.
	AVI file (814.6 kbytes) [ doi:10.1107/S0907444906054230/fw5105sup3.avi ] Supplementary Movie 2. Improved growth of the crystal of urate oxidase complexed with 8-azaxanthin corresponding to the equilibration step at 293 K recorded over 2 d.
	AVI file (261.8 kbytes) [ doi:10.1107/S0907444906054230/fw5105sup5.avi ] Supplementary Movie 4. The processes for micromanipulation: addition of crystals.
	AVI file (692.1 kbytes) [ doi:10.1107/S0907444906054230/fw5105sup6.avi ] Supplementary Movie 5. The processes for micromanipulation: precise positioning of the top of the capillary in the crystallization solution.

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