Recent results on hydrogen and hydration in biology studied by neutron macromolecular crystallography

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 285 - 300
• Main Authors: Niimura, N, Arai, S, Kurihara, K, Chatake, T, Tanaka, I, Bau, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer Nature B.V 01.02.2006; Birkhäuser-Verlag
• Subjects: Biology; Crystal structure; Crystallization; Crystallography; Crystals; Deuteration; Deuterium - chemistry; Deuterium Exchange Measurement; Diffractometers; Enzymatic activity; Experimental methods; Hydration; Hydrogen; Hydrogen - chemistry; Hydrogen atoms; Hydrogen bonding; Hydrogen bonds; Hydrogen-deuterium exchange; Macromolecules; Molecular biology; Neutron diffraction; Neutron Diffraction - instrumentation; Oligonucleotides; Protein Conformation; Proteins; Proteins - chemistry; Review; Single crystals; Thermal stability; Water - chemistry; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-005-5418-3

Neutron diffraction provides an experimental method of directly locating hydrogen atoms in proteins, a technique complimentary to ultra-high-resolution [1, 2] X-ray diffraction. Three different types of neutron diffractometers for biological macromolecules have been constructed in Japan, France and the United States, and they have been used to determine the crystal structures of proteins up to resolution limits of 1.5-2.5 A. Results relating to hydrogen positions and hydration patterns in proteins have been obtained from these studies. Examples include the geometrical details of hydrogen bonds, H/D exchange in proteins and oligonucleotides, the role of hydrogen atoms in enzymatic activity and thermostability, and the dynamical behavior of hydration structures, all of which have been extracted from these structural results and reviewed. Other techniques, such as the growth of large single crystals, the preparation of fully deuterated proteins, the use of cryogenic techniques, and a data base of hydrogen and hydration in proteins, will be described.