학술논문
Coherent diffractive imaging of microtubules using an X-ray laser.
Document Type
article
Author
Brändén, Gisela; Hammarin, Greger; Harimoorthy, Rajiv; Johansson, Alexander; Arnlund, David; Malmerberg, Erik; Barty, Anton; Tångefjord, Stefan; Berntsen, Peter; DePonte, Daniel P; Seuring, Carolin; White, Thomas A; Stellato, Francesco; Bean, Richard; Beyerlein, Kenneth R; Chavas, Leonard MG; Fleckenstein, Holger; Gati, Cornelius; Ghoshdastider, Umesh; Gumprecht, Lars; Oberthür, Dominik; Popp, David; Seibert, Marvin; Tilp, Thomas; Messerschmidt, Marc; Williams, Garth J; Loh, N Duane; Chapman, Henry N; Zwart, Peter; Liang, Mengning; Boutet, Sébastien; Robinson, Robert C; Neutze, Richard
Source
Nature communications. 10(1)
Subject
Language
Abstract
X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) create new possibilities for structural studies of biological objects that extend beyond what is possible with synchrotron radiation. Serial femtosecond crystallography has allowed high-resolution structures to be determined from micro-meter sized crystals, whereas single particle coherent X-ray imaging requires development to extend the resolution beyond a few tens of nanometers. Here we describe an intermediate approach: the XFEL imaging of biological assemblies with helical symmetry. We collected X-ray scattering images from samples of microtubules injected across an XFEL beam using a liquid microjet, sorted these images into class averages, merged these data into a diffraction pattern extending to 2 nm resolution, and reconstructed these data into a projection image of the microtubule. Details such as the 4 nm tubulin monomer became visible in this reconstruction. These results illustrate the potential of single-molecule X-ray imaging of biological assembles with helical symmetry at room temperature.