Cryocrystallography of metalloprotein reaction intermediates

Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2002 Apr;6(2):202-7. doi: 10.1016/s1367-5931(02)00300-9.

Abstract

Freeze-trapping reaction intermediates in macromolecular crystals is now a proven technique for obtaining their high-resolution structures by X-ray crystallography. The structural study of metalloprotein mechanisms has spearheaded this work, mainly because of the increased availability of single-crystal UV/visible spectrophotometry that enables reaction monitoring in the crystalline state. In particular, through formation of the frozen glass state, the stabilization of intermediates involving dissolved gases has yielded some of the most spectacular results. Metalloprotein systems still dominate this field, and the most recent successes, along with the accompanying advances in methodology, are presented.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cold Temperature
  • Crystallization
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytochromes
  • DNA Polymerase beta / chemistry
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / chemistry
  • Ligands
  • Metalloproteins / chemistry*
  • Metalloproteins / metabolism
  • Nitrite Reductases / chemistry

Substances

  • Cytochromes
  • Ligands
  • Metalloproteins
  • Nitrite Reductases
  • nitrite reductase (NO-forming)
  • Electron Transport Complex IV
  • DNA Polymerase beta