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The Effect of Solution Conditions on the Nucleation Kinetics of Tetragonal Lysozyme CrystalsAn understanding of protein crystal nucleation rates and the effect of solution conditions upon them, is fundamental to the preparation of protein crystals of the desired size and shape for X-ray diffraction analysis. The ability to predict the effect of supersaturation, temperature, pH and precipitant concentration on the number and size of crystals formed is of great benefit in the pursuit of protein structure analysis. In this study we experimentally examine the effect of supersaturation, temperature, pH and sodium chloride concentration on the nucleation rate of tetragonal chicken egg white lysozyme crystals. In order to do this batch crystallization plates were prepared at given solution concentrations and incubated at three different temperatures over the period of one week. The number of crystals per well with their size and dimensions were recorded and correlated against solution conditions. Duplicate experiments indicate the reproducibility of the technique. Although it is well known that crystal numbers increase with increasing supersaturation, large changes in crystal number were also correlated against solution conditions of temperature, pH and salt concentration over the same supersaturation ranges. Analysis of these results enhance our understanding of the effect of solution conditions such as the dramatic effect that small changes in charge and ionic strength can have on the number of tetragonal lysozyme crystals that form and grow in solution.
Document ID
19990019553
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Judge, Russell A.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Baird, James K.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Pusey, Marc L.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1998
Subject Category
Inorganic And Physical Chemistry
Meeting Information
Meeting: Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules
Location: Granada
Country: Spain
Start Date: May 3, 1998
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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