When X-rays modify the protein structure: radiation damage at work

The majority of 3D structures of macromolecules are currently determined by macromolecular crystallography, which employs the diffraction of X-rays on single crystals. However, during diffraction experiments, the X-rays can damage the protein crystals by ionization processes, especially when powerful X-ray sources at synchrotron facilities are used. This process of radiation damage generates photo-electrons that can get trapped in protein moieties. The 3D structure derived from such experiments can differ remarkably from the structure of the native molecule. Recently, the crystal structures of different oxidation states of horseradish peroxidase and nickel-containing superoxide dismutase were determined using crystallographic redox titration performed during the exposure of the crystals to the incident X-ray beam. Previous crystallographic analyses have not shown the distinct structures of the active sites associated with the redox state of the structural features of these enzymes. These new studies show that, for protein moieties that are susceptible to radiation damage and prone to reduction by photo-electrons, care is required in both the design of the diffraction experiment and the analysis and interpretation.