The Interaction of Bio-Molecules with Lipid Membranes Studied by X-ray Diffraction

2014 ◽  
Vol 228 (10-12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maikel Rheinstädter ◽  
Laura Toppozini ◽  
Hannah Dies

AbstractFor the past 100 years, X-ray diffraction has been a powerful and indispensable tool to study the structure of matter. The challenge when studying molecular ordering in biological materials is their inherent disorder and strong fluctuations, which often suppress the formation of Bragg peaks. In the case of membranes, X-rays can detect molecules inside and confined between membranes. In this article we review examples to highlight the capabilities and accomplishments of X-ray scattering for the determination of membrane structure. X-ray diffraction gives quantitative information about partitioning of a small molecule, ethanol, in lipid bilayers. By taking amyloid-

Crystals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 273 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Brandão-Neto ◽  
Leonardo Bernasconi

Macromolecular crystallography at cryogenic temperatures has so far provided the majority of the experimental evidence that underpins the determination of the atomic structures of proteins and other biomolecular assemblies by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. One of the core limitations of the current methods is that crystal samples degrade as they are subject to X-rays, and two broad groups of effects are observed: global and specific damage. While the currently successful approach is to operate outside the range where global damage is observed, specific damage is not well understood and may lead to poor interpretation of the chemistry and biology of the system under study. In this work, we present a phenomenological model in which specific damage is understood as the result of a single process, the steady excitation of crystal electrons caused by X-ray absorption, which acts as a trigger for the bulk effects that manifest themselves in the form of global damage and obscure the interpretation of chemical information from XFEL and synchrotron structural research.


Author(s):  
José Brandão-Neto ◽  
Leonardo Bernasconi

Macromolecular crystallography at cryogenic temperatures has so far provided the majority of the experimental evidence that underpins the determination of the atomic structures of proteins and other biomolecular assemblies by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. One of the core limitations of the current methods is that crystal samples degrade as they are subject to X-rays, and two broad groups of effects are observed: global and specific damage. While the currently successful approach is to operate outside the range where global damage is observed, specific damage is not well understood and may lead to poor interpretation of the chemistry and biology of the system under study. In this work, we present a phenomenological model in which specific damage is understood as the result of a single process, the steady excitation of crystal electrons caused by X-ray absorption, which acts as a trigger for the bulk effects that manifest themselves in the form of global damage and obscure the interpretation of chemical information from XFEL and synchrotron structural research.


1987 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Neuling ◽  
H. Stegemeyer ◽  
K. Praefcke ◽  
B. Kohne

The discotic liquid crystalline phase of a new class of disc-like molecules (hexa-O-alkanoylscyllo- inositoles) is studied by small angle X-ray scattering, DSC and optical observations. Comparison of these three methods allows the determination of the structural arrangement. X-ray film exposures of oriented samples clearly demonstrate the hexagonal columnar ordered type of mesophases. A simple model calculation shows that the alkyl chains of neighbouring columns interpenetrate each other to a small extent.


2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1308-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Lefevre ◽  
Alexandre Thomasson ◽  
Francois Roulland ◽  
Vincent Favre-Nicolin ◽  
Yves Joly ◽  
...  

The cationic distribution is decisive for both the magnetic and electric properties of complex oxides. While it can be easily determined in bulk materials using classical methods such as X-ray or neutron diffraction, difficulties arise for thin films owing to the relatively small amount of material to probe. It is shown here that a full determination of the cationic site distribution in thin films is possible through an optimized processing of resonant elastic X-ray scattering experiments. The method is illustrated using gallium ferrite Ga2−xFexO3samples which have been the focus of an increasing number of studies this past decade. They indeed represent an alternative to the, to date, only room-temperature magnetoelectric compound BiFeO3. The methodology can be applied to determine the element distribution over the various crystallographic sites in any crystallized system.


2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 791-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Morita ◽  
Yoshitada Tanaka ◽  
Kazuki Ito ◽  
Yoshihiro Takahashi ◽  
Keiko Nishikawa

A novel apparatus has been developed that enables the simultaneous determination of the absorption factor during measurement of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) intensities of a sample. It was designed especially for the use of relatively low-energy X-rays at SAXS beamlines of synchrotron facilities. The X-ray intensity of transmittance is measured by a silicon PIN photodiode, which is implanted in a direct beamstop set in a vacuum chamber. Since the assembly transmits an attenuated direct beam to a detector during the scattering measurement, a zero-angle position can be monitored without additional operation. It was confirmed that the linearity between the signal from the photodiode and the intensity of X-rays is good and the photodiode is applicable for the desired purpose. For a performance test, the absorption factors of a supercritical fluid were measured with a wide density range.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4356
Author(s):  
Evgeniy M. Chistyakov ◽  
Sergey N. Filatov ◽  
Elena A. Sulyanova ◽  
Vladimir V. Volkov

A new method for purification of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline using citric acid was developed and living cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline was carried out. Polymerization was conducted in acetonitrile using benzyl chloride—boron trifluoride etherate initiating system. According to DSC data, the temperature range of melting of the crystalline phase of the resulting polymer was 95–180 °C. According to small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray diffraction data, the degree of crystallinity of the polymer was 12%. Upon cooling of the polymer melt, the polymer became amorphous. Using thermogravimetric analysis, it was found that the thermal destruction of poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) started above 209 °C.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Dattelbaum ◽  
E. B. Watkins ◽  
M. A. Firestone ◽  
R. C. Huber ◽  
R. L. Gustavsen ◽  
...  

AbstractBenzene (C6H6), while stable under ambient conditions, can become chemically reactive at high pressures and temperatures, such as under shock loading conditions. Here, we report in situ x-ray diffraction and small angle x-ray scattering measurements of liquid benzene shocked to 55 GPa, capturing the morphology and crystalline structure of the shock-driven reaction products at nanosecond timescales. The shock-driven chemical reactions in benzene observed using coherent XFEL x-rays were a complex mixture of products composed of carbon and hydrocarbon allotropes. In contrast to the conventional description of diamond, methane and hydrogen formation, our present results indicate that benzene’s shock-driven reaction products consist of layered sheet-like hydrocarbon structures and nanosized carbon clusters with mixed sp2-sp3 hybridized bonding. Implications of these findings range from guiding shock synthesis of novel compounds to the fundamentals of carbon transport in planetary physics.


1983 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 159-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Perry ◽  
I.C. Noyan ◽  
P.J. Rudnik ◽  
J.B. Cohen

Residual and applied stresses (σij) are often measured via X-ray diffraction, by calculating the resultant elastic strains (ϵij) from the measured change in interplanar spacing (“d”). This method is non-destructive, reasonably reproducible (typically ±14 MPa), can be carried out in the field, and is readily automated to give values to an operator-specified precision , Let Li represent the axes of the measuring system with L3 normal to the diffracting planes, and Pi represent the sample axes. These axes are illustrated in Figure 1. In what follows, primed stresses and strains are in the laboratory system, while unprimed values are in the sample system.


2010 ◽  
Vol 81 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshikazu Tanaka ◽  
Taro Kojima ◽  
Yasutaka Takata ◽  
Ashish Chainani ◽  
Stephen W. Lovesey ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 729-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Resel ◽  
Markus Bainschab ◽  
Alexander Pichler ◽  
Theo Dingemans ◽  
Clemens Simbrunner ◽  
...  

Dynamical scattering effects are observed in grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction experiments using an organic thin film of 2,2′:6′,2′′-ternaphthalene grown on oxidized silicon as substrate. Here, a splitting of all Bragg peaks in the out-of-plane direction (z-direction) has been observed, the magnitude of which depends both on the incidence angle of the primary beam and the out-of-plane angle of the scattered beam. The incident angle was varied between 0.09° and 0.25° for synchrotron radiation of 10.5 keV. This study reveals comparable intensities of the split peaks with a maximum for incidence angles close to the critical angle of total external reflection of the substrate. This observation is rationalized by two different scattering pathways resulting in diffraction peaks at different positions at the detector. In order to minimize the splitting, the data suggest either using incident angles well below the critical angle of total reflection or angles well above, which sufficiently attenuates the contributions from the second scattering path. This study highlights that the refraction of X-rays in (organic) thin films has to be corrected accordingly to allow for the determination of peak positions with sufficient accuracy. Based thereon, a reliable determination of the lattice constants becomes feasible, which is required for crystallographic structure solutions from thin films.


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