Anomalous scattering isomorphous replacement

A teclmique that employs principles similar to those of isomorphous replacement is multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) [27]. The expression for the atomic scattering factor in equation (B1.8.2h) is strictly accurate only if the x-ray wavelength is well away from any characteristic absorption edge of the element, in which case the atomic scattering factor is real and Filiki) = Fthkl V- Since the diffracted... 

Fan, H. E, et al. (1990). Combining direct methods with isomorphous replacement or anomalous scattering data. VII. Ab initio phasing of one-wavelength anomalous scattering data from a small protein. Acta Crystallogr. A 46, 935-939. 

The most demanding element of macromolecular crystallography (except, perhaps, for dealing with macromolecules that resist crystallization) is the so-called phase problem, that of determining the phase angle ahkl for each reflection. In the remainder of this chapter, I will discuss some of the common methods for overcoming this obstacle. These include the heavy-atom method (also called isomorphous replacement), anomalous scattering (also called anomalous dispersion), and molecular replacement. Each of these techniques yield only estimates of phases, which must be improved before an interpretable electron-density map can be obtained. In addition, these techniques usually yield estimates for a limited number of the phases, so phase determination must be extended to include as many reflections as possible. In Chapter 7,1 will discuss methods of phase improvement and phase extension, which ultimately result in accurate phases and an interpretable electron-density map. 

Anomalous scattering Needs good data. Used as an addition to isomorphous replacement. Requires anomalous scattering. Good with a tunable X-ray source, such as synchrotron radiation. 

North, A. C. T. The combination of isomorphous replacement and anomalous scattering data in phase determination of non-centrosymmetric reflexions. Acta Cryst. 18, 212-216 (1965). 

The Patterson synthesis (Patterson, 1935), or Patterson map as it is more commonly known, will be discussed in detail in the next chapter. It is important in conjunction with all of the methods above, except perhaps direct methods, but in theory it also offers a means of deducing a molecular structure directly from the intensity data alone. In practice, however, Patterson techniques can be used to solve an entire structure only if the structure contains very few atoms, three or four at most, though sometimes more, up to a dozen or so if the atoms are arranged in a unique motif such as a planar ring structure. Direct deconvolution of the Patterson map to solve even a very small macromolecule is impossible, and it provides no useful approach. Substructures within macromolecular crystals, such as heavy atom constellations (in isomorphous replacement) or constellations of anomalous scattered, however, are amenable to direct Patterson interpretation. These substructures may then be used to solve the phase problem by one of the other techniques described below. 

Excellent and detailed treatments of the use of anomalous dispersion data in the deduction of phase information can be found elsewhere (Smith et al., 2001), and no attempt will be made to duplicate them here. The methodology and underlying principles are not unlike those for conventional isomorphous replacement based on heavy atom substitution. Here, however, the anomalous scatterers may be an integral part of the macromolecule sulfurs (or selenium atoms incorporated in place of sulfurs), the iron in heme groups, Ca++, Zn++, and so on. Anomalous scatterers can also be incorporated by diffusion into the crystals or by chemical means. With anomalous dispersion techniques, however, all data necessary for phase determination are collected from a single crystal (but at different wavelengths) hence non-isomorphism is less of a problem. 

As with the isomorphous replacement method, the locations x, y, z in the unit cell of the anomalous scatterers must first be determined by Patterson techniques or by direct methods. Patterson maps are computed in this case using the anomalous differences Fi,u — F-h-k-i-Constructions similar to the Harker diagram can again be utilized, though probability-based mathematical equivalents are generally used in their stead. 

For more than 50 years it has been known that the barely measurable differences between Fhki and F-n-k-t contained useful phase information. For macromolecular crystals lacking anomalous scattering atoms, this phase information was impossible to extract and use because it was below the measurement error of reflections. Anomalous dispersion was, however, sometimes useful in conjunction with isomorphous replacement where the heavy atom substitutent provided a significant anomalous signal. The difference between F ki and F-h-k-i was, for example, employed to resolve the phase ambiguity when only a single isomorphous derivative could be obtained (known as single isomorphous replacement, or SIR) or used to improve phases in MIR analyses. 

The underlying principle of anomalous scattering methods is related to the isomorphous replacement concept of creating reference waves within crystal unit cells that interfere in some way with the resultant wave from all of the light atoms belonging to the macro-... 

As with the isomorphous replacement technique it is necessary to identify the positions, the x, y, z coordinates of the anomalous scatterers. This can be done by anomalous difference Patterson maps, which are Patterson syntheses that use the anomalous differences Fhki — F—h—k—i as coefficients (Blow and Rossmann, 1961). These maps are interpreted identically to isomorphous difference Patterson maps (see Chapter 9). Rapidly surpassing Patterson approaches, particularly for selenomethionine problems and others where the number of anomalous scatterers tends to be large, are direct methods (see below). These are strictly mathematical methods that have proved to be surprisingly effective in revealing the constellation of anomalous scatterers in a unit cell. 

In order to exploit the heavy atom method with crystals of conventional molecules, or to utilize the isomorphous replacement method or anomalous dispersion technique for macro-molecular structure determination, it is necessary to identify the positions, the x, y, z coordinates of the heavy atoms, or anomalously scattering substituents in the crystallographic unit cell. Only in this way can their contribution to the diffraction pattern of the crystal be calculated and employed to generate phase information. Heavy atom coordinates cannot be obtained by biochemical or physical means, but they can be deduced by a rather enigmatic procedure from the observed structure amplitudes, from differences between native and derivative structure amplitudes, or in the case of anomalous scattering, from differences between Friedel mates. 

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