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Related Concept Videos

Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

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Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
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Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

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Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition02:33

Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition

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Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
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Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria01:10

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Recrystallization is a purification technique used to separate impurities from solid compounds. In this technique, no chemical reactions occur. Instead, it exploits physical properties only, specifically, the solubility differences between the desired compound and impurities, either at a single temperature or at different temperatures, and under other selected conditions. The solid-solution equilibrium (solubility equilibrium) of each component in the solution represents a binary phase...
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Molecular and Ionic Solids02:54

Molecular and Ionic Solids

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Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
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Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization01:25

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization

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Crystallization is a phase transformation process in which crystals are precipitated from a supersaturated solution or formed from other sources. During crystallization, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into a well-defined, rigid crystal lattice to minimize energy.
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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
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The mechanism driving a solid-solid phase transition in a biomacromolecular crystal.

Saminathan Ramakrishnan1, Jason R Stagno1, William F Heinz2

  • 1Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.

Iucrj
|July 14, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Solid-solid phase transitions in biomacromolecular crystals are driven by large, ligand-induced conformational changes. This study reveals the interplay between molecular rearrangements and crystal phases, advancing our understanding of these critical processes.

Keywords:
RNA structural biologylarge conformational changessolid–solid phase transition mechanismstime-resolved crystallography

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Crystallography
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Solid-solid phase transitions (SSPTs) are crucial in materials science and physics but poorly understood in biomacromolecular crystals.
  • Previous studies focused on metallic alloys, inorganic salts, and small organic crystals, neglecting complex biological molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the atomic and molecular mechanisms driving SSPTs in biomacromolecular crystals.
  • To investigate ligand-induced conformational changes and their role in phase transitions within the adenine riboswitch aptamer.

Main Methods:

  • Real-time serial crystallography
  • Solution atomic force microscopy
  • Polarized video microscopy

Main Results:

  • Identified large, ligand-induced conformational changes driving the transition from apo unit cell (AUC) to trans unit cell 1 (TUC1).
  • Observed disruption of P2-P2 interactions and coaxial stacking of P1 duplexes as dominant interfaces during transition.
  • Revealed molecular reorganization in TUC1 leading to a more densely packed bound unit cell (BUC).
  • Simulated in crystallo kinetics and identified the time window for major conformational changes.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals the interplay between conformational changes and crystal phases as the mechanism for SSPTs in biomacromolecular crystals.
  • Provides spatiotemporal information crucial for time-resolved crystallography experiments.
  • Demonstrates a practical approach for characterizing SSPTs in transparent crystals.