Generalized X-ray and neutron crystallographic analysis: more accurate and complete structures for biological macromolecules

X-ray and neutron crystallographic data have been combined in a joint structure-refinement procedure that has been developed using recent advances in modern computational methodologies, including cross-validated maximum-likelihood target functions with gradient-based optimization and simulated annealing

A robust bulk-solvent correction and anisotropic scaling procedure

A robust method for determining bulk-solvent and anisotropic scaling parameters for macromolecular refinement is described. A maximum-likelihood target function for determination of flat bulk-solvent model parameters and overall anisotropic scale factor is also proposed

Automatic multiple-zone rigid-body refinement with a large convergence radius

Systematic investigation of a large number of trial rigid-body refinements leads to an optimized multiple-zone protocol with a larger convergence radius

Refinamiento de estructuras macromoleculares cristalográficas

Model refinement is a key step in crystallographic structure determination that ensures final atomic structure of macromolecule represents measured diffraction data as good as possible. Several decades have been put into developing methods and computational tools to streamline this step. In this manuscript we provide a brief overview of major milestones of crystallographic computing and methods development pertinent to structure refinement.El refinamiento es un paso clave en el proceso de determinación de una estructura cristalográfica al garantizar que la estructura atómica de la macromolécula final represente de la mejor manera posible los datos de difracción. Han hecho falta varias décadas para poder desarrollar nuevos métodos y herramientas computacionales dirigidas a dinamizar esta etapa. En este artículo ofrecemos un breve resumen de los principales hitos en la computación cristalográfica y de los nuevos métodos relevantes para el refinamiento de estructuras

Portal protein functions akin to a DNA-sensor that couples genome-packaging to icosahedral capsid maturation.

Tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses assemble infectious particles via an empty precursor capsid (or \u27procapsid\u27) built by multiple copies of coat and scaffolding protein and by one dodecameric portal protein. Genome packaging triggers rearrangement of the coat protein and release of scaffolding protein, resulting in dramatic procapsid lattice expansion. Here, we provide structural evidence that the portal protein of the bacteriophage P22 exists in two distinct dodecameric conformations: an asymmetric assembly in the procapsid (PC-portal) that is competent for high affinity binding to the large terminase packaging protein, and a symmetric ring in the mature virion (MV-portal) that has negligible affinity for the packaging motor. Modelling studies indicate the structure of PC-portal is incompatible with DNA coaxially spooled around the portal vertex, suggesting that newly packaged DNA triggers the switch from PC- to MV-conformation. Thus, we propose the signal for termination of \u27Headful Packaging\u27 is a DNA-dependent symmetrization of portal protein

Improvement of cryo-EM maps by density modification.

A density-modification procedure for improving maps from single-particle electron cryogenic microscopy (cryo-EM) is presented. The theoretical basis of the method is identical to that of maximum-likelihood density modification, previously used to improve maps from macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Key differences from applications in crystallography are that the errors in Fourier coefficients are largely in the phases in crystallography but in both phases and amplitudes in cryo-EM, and that half-maps with independent errors are available in cryo-EM. These differences lead to a distinct approach for combination of information from starting maps with information obtained in the density-modification process. The density-modification procedure was applied to a set of 104 datasets and improved map-model correlation and increased the visibility of details in many of the maps. The procedure requires two unmasked half-maps and a sequence file or other source of information on the volume of the macromolecule that has been imaged