Is radiation damage dependent on the dose rate used during macromolecular crystallography data collection?

• Published in: Acta crystallographica. Section D, Biological crystallography. Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 125 - 132
• Main Authors: Leiros, Hanna-Kirsti S., Timmins, Joanna, Ravelli, Raimond B. G., McSweeney, Seán M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 5 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2HU, England Munksgaard International Publishers 01.02.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cysteine - chemistry; Cysteine - metabolism; Data Collection; Deinococcus - enzymology; dose rate; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Glucosidases - chemistry; Glucosidases - radiation effects; Models, Molecular; Protein Conformation; Protein Denaturation - radiation effects; radiation damage; Selenomethionine - chemistry; Selenomethionine - metabolism; synchrotron radiation; Synchrotrons; Trypsin - chemistry; Trypsin - radiation effects; X-Rays - adverse effects
• ISSN: 1399-0047; 0907-4449; 1399-0047
• DOI: 10.1107/S0907444905033627

This paper focuses on the radiation‐damage effects when applying the same total X‐ray dose to protein crystals at different dose rates. These experiments have been performed on both a selenomethionated protein and on bovine trypsin using dose rates that span nearly two orders of magnitude. The results show no clear dose‐rate effect on the global indicators of radiation damage, but a small measurable dose‐rate effect could be found when studying specific radiation damage. It is hypothesized that this observed dose‐rate effect relates to differences in the steady‐state free‐radical concentration.