Visualizing a protein quake with time-resolved X-ray scattering at a free-electron laser
Journal article, 2014

We describe a method to measure ultrafast protein structural changes using time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering at an X-ray free-electron laser. We demonstrated this approach using multiphoton excitation of the Blastochloris viridis photosynthetic reaction center, observing an ultrafast global conformational change that arises within picoseconds and precedes the propagation of heat through the protein. This provides direct structural evidence for a 'protein quake': the hypothesis that proteins rapidly dissipate energy through quake-like structural motions.

Biochemical Research Methods

FREQUENCY VIBRATIONAL-MODES

STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS

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Published in

Nature Methods

1548-7091 (ISSN) 1548-7105 (eISSN)

Vol. 11 Issue 9 p. 923-926

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Chemical Sciences

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DOI

10.1038/nmeth.3067

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Created

10/10/2017