Enabling membrane protein structure and dynamics with X-ray free electron lasers

Geoffrey K Feld; Matthias Frank

doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2014.05.002

Enabling membrane protein structure and dynamics with X-ray free electron lasers

Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2014 Aug:27:69-78. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.05.002. Epub 2014 Jun 12.

Authors

Geoffrey K Feld¹, Matthias Frank²

Affiliations

¹ Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
² Physics Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA. Electronic address: frank1@llnl.gov.

PMID: 24930119
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.05.002

Abstract

Determining the three-dimensional structures and dynamics of membrane proteins remains one of the great challenges of modern biology. The recent availability of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) light sources has opened the door to a new and revolutionary approach to performing X-ray analysis of these important biomolecules. Recent advances in sample delivery, data reduction, and phasing have enabled the high-resolution structural probing of membrane proteins at room temperature. While considerable challenges remain, the recent developments described in this review may ultimately provide structural biologists with powerful tools for obtaining unprecedented atomic-scale and dynamic visualization of membrane proteins at near-physiological conditions.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Crystallography, X-Ray
Electrons*
Humans
Lasers*
Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
Molecular Imaging / methods*
X-Rays

Substances

Membrane Proteins