Development of Crystallization Strategies Using the Biological Macromolecule Crystallization Database

The NIST/NASA/CARB Biological Macromolecule studies requires not only finding suitable chemical agents Crystallization Database (BMCD) contains crystal data that induce and sustain crystal growth but also that those and crystallization conditions for biological parameters such as protein concentration, ionic strength, macromolecules abstracted from the literature. Each temperature, pH, etc., be sampled over a wide range of entry consists of information describing the biological values. This could require many thousands of experiments macromolecule crystallized and crystal data and the even if only a few chemical agents are used and if crystallization conditions for each crystal form. The parameters are varied with course increments. The number BMCD also serves as the NASA Protein Crystal Growth of experiments required for success is dependent on the Archive in that it contains protocols and results of macromolecule and the choices made by the investigator. crystallization experiments undertaken in microgravity If crystallization occurs over a broad range of conditions, (space). The BMCD was designed as a tool to help X-ray or if the right choices are made in the initial experiments, crystallographers in the development of protocols to the search ends quickly. In other cases many experiments crystallize biological macromolecules. Strategies for four are required to discover crystallization conditions, and general categories of crystallization problems are occasionally no crystallization conditions are found, no discussed that include the production of diffraction quality matter how many experiments are done. crystals (1) for a biological macromolecule reported in Several systematic procedures and strategy the literature, (2) for a chemically modified, or sequence, suggestions have been put forth to try to decrease the variant of a macromolecule that has been successfully number of experiments needed to produce suitable crystals crystallized, (3) for a macromolecule that is homologous [i.e., 1-11]. Nevertheless, no universal strategy for to a previously crystallized macromolecule, and (4) for a searching for the crystal growth parameters for a biological macromolecule that is not related to one that has been macromolecule has gained widespread acceptance. Carter previously crystallized. and Carter [3] were the first to propose the use of the