Cryogenic X-ray crystallographic studies of biomacromolecules at Turkish Light Source "Turkish DeLight"

Authors: NECATİ ATALAY, ENVER KAMİL AKCAN, MEHMET GÜL, ESRA AYAN, EBRU DESTAN, FATMA BETÜL ERTEM KUZUCU, NURETTİN TOKAY, BARIŞ ÇAKILKAYA, ZELİŞ NERGİZ, GÖZDE KARAKADIOĞLU USTA, ABDULLAH KEPCEOĞLU, İLKİN YAPICI, BİLGE TOSUN, NİLÜFER BALDIR, GÜNSELİ YILDIRIM, JEROME AUSTIN JOHNSON, ÖMÜR GÜVEN, ALALEH SHAFIEI, NAZLI ARSLAN, MERVE YILMAZ, CAHİNE KULAKMAN, SEYİDE SEDA PAYDOS, ZEYNEP SENA ÇİNAL, KARDELEN ŞABANOĞLU, AYŞEGÜL PAZARÇEVİREN, AYŞENUR YILMAZ, ZEYNEP BAŞAK CANBAY, BENGİSU AŞCI, ESRA KARTAL, SERRA TAVLI, MEHMET ÇALISEKİ, GÜNCE GÖÇ, ARİF MERMER, GAMZE YEŞİLAY, SEVDE ALTUNTAŞ, HIROSHI TATEISHI, MASAMI OTSUKA, MIKAKO FUJITA, ŞABAN TEKİN, HALİLİBRAHİM ÇİFTÇİ, SERDAR DURDAĞI, GİZEM DİNLER DOĞANAY, EZGİ KARACA EREK, BURCU KAPLAN TÜRKÖZ, BURAK VELİ KABASAKAL, AHMET KATI, HASAN DEMİRCİ

Abstract: X-ray crystallography is a robust and powerful structural biology technique that provides high-resolution atomic structures of biomacromolecules. Scientists use this technique to unravel mechanistic and structural details of biological macromolecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, protein complexes, protein-nucleic acid complexes, or large biological compartments). Since its inception, single-crystal cryocrystallography has never been performed in Türkiye due to the lack of a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer. The X-ray diffraction facility recently established at the University of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Türkiye will enable Turkish and international researchers to easily perform high-resolution structural analysis of biomacromolecules from single crystals. Here, we describe the technical and practical outlook of a state-of-the-art home-source X-ray, using lysozyme as a model protein. The methods and practice described in this article can be applied to any biological sample for structural studies. Therefore, this article will be a valuable practical guide from sample preparation to data analysis.

Keywords: X-ray crystallography, light source, structural biology, atomic resolution, drug repurposing, drug development, structural dynamics

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