Structural transformations in protein crystals caused by controlled dehydration

Recent experiments in this laboratory on structural transformations caused by controlled dehydration of protein crystals have been reviewed. X-ray diffraction patterns of the following crystals have been examined under varying conditions of environmental humidity in the relative humidity range of 100-75%: a new crystal form of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A grown from acetone solution in tris buffer (I), the well-known monoclinic form of the protein grown from aqueous ethanol (II), the same form grown from a solution of 2-methyl pentan-2,4-diol in phosphate buffer (III), tetragonal (IV), orthorhombic (V), monoclinic (VI) and triclinic (VII) hen egg white lysozyme, porcine 2 Zn insulin (VIII), porcine 4 Zn insulin (IX) and the crystals of concanavalin A(X). I, II, IV, V and VI undergo one or more transformations as evidenced by discontinuous changes in the unit cell dimensions, the diffraction pattern and the solvent content. Such water-mediated transformations do not appear to occur in the remaining crystals in the relative humidity range explored. The relative humidity at which the transformation occurs is reduced when 2-methyl pentan-2,4-diol is present in the mother liquor. The transformations are affected by the crystal structure but not by the amount of solvent in the crystals. The X-ray investigations reviewed here and other related investigations emphasize the probable importance of water-mediated transformations in exploring hydration of proteins and conformational transitions in them

X-ray characterisation of an additional binding site in lysozyme

AbstractBromophenol red (BPR) binds to lysozyme and inhibits its activity against bacterial cell walls, but not against the polysaccharide component of peptidoglycan. The binding site of BPR in the enzyme has been characterised by X-ray analysis of the complex at 5.5Å resolution. The new binding site, which is outside the cleft close to subsite F, is presumably involved in interactions with the peptide component of peptidoglycan, in the action of lysozyme against bacterial cell walls

3,3',5,5'-Tetrabromophenolsulfonphthalein (bromphenol blue),* C<SUB>19</SUB>H<SUB>10</SUB>Br<SUB>4</SUB>O<SUB>5</SUB>S

M<SUB>r</SUB>=670.02, monoclinic, C2/c, a= 31.003(4), b=11.037(2), c=21.183(3)&#197; , &#946; = 143.7 (1) &#176; , V= 4291.2&#197; <SUP>3</SUP>, D,<SUB>m</SUB> = 2.06, D <SUB>x</SUB> = 2.07Mgm <SUP>-3</SUP>, Z=8, MoKa, &#955;=0.7107 &#197; , &#956; =7.45 mm<SUP>-1</SUP>, F(000) = 2560, T= 293 K, R = 0.061 for 1697 observed reflections. The bromphenol blue molecule consists essentially of three planar groupings: the sulfonphthalein ring system and two dibromophenol rings attached to the tetrahedral C atom of the five-membered ring of the sulfonphthalein system. The dibromophenol rings are inclined with resPect to each other at 73 &#176; whereas they make angles of 85 and 68 &#176; with respect to the sulfonphthalein system. The molecules aggregate into helical columns with the non-polar regions of the molecules in the interior and the polar regions on the surface. The columns are held together by a network of hydrogen bonds

3,3',5,5'-Tetrabromophenolsulfonphthalein (bromphenol blue), C19H10Br4O5S

M r=670.02, monoclinic, C2/c, a= 31.003(4), b=11.037(2), c=21.183(3)A, fl= 143.7 (1) °, V= 4291.2/k 3, D,n = 2.06, D x = 2.07Mgm -3, Z=8, MoKa, 2=0.7107/k, /~=7.45 mm -1, F(000) = 2560, T= 293 K, R = 0.061 for 1697 observed reflections. The bromphenol blue molecule consists essentially of three planar groupings: the sulfonphthalein ring system and two dibromophenol rings attached to the tetrahedral C atom of the five-membered ring of the sulfonphthalein system. The dibromophenol rings are inclined with resPect to each other at 73 ° whereas they make angles of 85 and 68 ° with respect to the sulfonphthalein system. The molecules aggregate into helical columns with the non-polar regions of the molecules in the interior and the polar regions on the surface. The columns are held together by a network of hydrogen bonds