Crystallization of the large membrane protein complex photosystem I in a microfluidic channel.

ABSTRACT: Traditional macroscale protein crystallization is accomplished nontrivially by exploring a range of protein concentrations and buffers in solution until a suitable combination is attained. This methodology is time-consuming and resource-intensive, hindering protein structure determination. Even more difficulties arise when crystallizing large membrane protein complexes such as photosystem I (PSI) due to their large unit cells dominated by solvent and complex characteristics that call for even stricter buffer requirements. Structure determination techniques tailored for these "difficult to crystallize" proteins such as femtosecond nanocrystallography are being developed yet still need specific crystal characteristics. Here, we demonstrate a simple and robust method to screen protein crystal

SUBMITTER: Abdallah BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3940344 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature