Andrea M. Katz

Why double-stranded RNA resists condensation

The addition of small amounts of multivalent cations to solutions containing double-stranded DNA leads to inter-DNA attraction and eventual condensation. Surprisingly, the condensation is suppressed in double-stranded RNA, which carries the same negative charge as DNA, but assumes a different double helical form. Here, we combine experiment and atomistic simulations to propose a mechanism that explains the variations in condensation of short (25 base-pairs) nucleic acid (NA) duplexes, from B-like form of homopolymeric DNA, to mixed sequence DNA, to DNA:RNA hybrid, to A-like RNA. Circular dichroism measurements suggest that duplex helical geometry is not the fundamental property that ultimately determines the observed differences in condensation. Instead, these differences are governed by the spatial variation of cobalt hexammine (CoHex) binding to NA. There are two major NA-CoHex binding modes—internal and external—distinguished by the proximity of bound CoHex to the helical axis. We find a significant difference, up to 5-fold, in the fraction of ions bound to the external surfaces of the different NA constructs studied. NA condensation propensity is determined by the fraction of CoHex ions in the external binding mode.

Structural enzymology using X-ray free electron lasers

Mix-and-inject serial crystallography (MISC) is a technique designed to image enzyme catalyzed reactions in which small protein crystals are mixed with a substrate just prior to being probed by an X-ray pulse. This approach offers several advantages over flow cell studies. It provides (i) room temperature structures at near atomic resolution, (ii) time resolution ranging from microseconds to seconds, and (iii) convenient reaction initiation. It outruns radiation damage by using femtosecond X-ray pulses allowing damage and chemistry to be separated. Here, we demonstrate that MISC is feasible at an X-ray free electron laser by studying the reaction of M. tuberculosis ß-lactamase microcrystals with ceftriaxone antibiotic solution. Electron density maps of the apo-ß-lactamase and of the ceftriaxone bound form were obtained at 2.8 Å and 2.4 Å resolution, respectively. These results pave the way to study cyclic and non-cyclic reactions and represent a new field of time-resolved structural dynamics for numerous substrate-triggered biological reactions.

Mixing injector enables time-resolved crystallography with high hit rate at X-ray free electron lasers

Knowledge of protein structure provides essential insight into function, enhancing our understanding of diseases and enabling new treatment development. X-ray crystallography has been used to solve the structures of more than 100 000 proteins; however, the vast majority represent long-lived states that do not capture the functional motions of these molecular machines. Reactions triggered by the addition of a ligand can be the most challenging to detect with crystallography because of the difficulty of synchronizing reactions to create detectable quantities of transient states. The development of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) and serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) enables new approaches for solving protein structures following the rapid diffusion of ligands into micron sized protein crystals. Conformational changes occurring on millisecond timescales can be detected and time-resolved. Here, we describe a new XFEL injector which incorporates a microfluidic mixer to rapidly combine reactant and sample milliseconds before the sample reaches the X-ray beam. The mixing injector consists of bonded, concentric glass capillaries. The fabrication process, employing custom laser cut centering spacers and UV curable epoxy, ensures precise alignment of capillaries for repeatable, centered sample flow and dependable mixing. Crystal delivery capillaries are 50 or 75 μm in diameter and can contain an integrated filter depending on the demands of the experiment. Reaction times can be varied from submillisecond to several hundred milliseconds. The injector features rapid and uniform mixing, low sample dilution, and high hit rates. It is fully compatible with existing SFX beamlines.

Understanding nucleic acid structural changes by comparing wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments to molecular dynamics simulations

Wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) is emerging as a powerful tool for increasing the resolution of solution structure measurements of biomolecules. Compared to its better known complement, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), WAXS targets higher scattering angles and can enhance structural studies of molecules by accessing finer details of solution structures. Although the extension from SAXS to WAXS is easy to implement experimentally, the computational tools required to fully harness the power of WAXS are still under development. Currently, WAXS is employed to study structural changes and ligand binding in proteins; however, the methods are not as fully developed for nucleic acids. Here, we show how WAXS can qualitatively characterize nucleic acid structures as well as the small but significant structural changes driven by the addition of multivalent ions. We show the potential of WAXS to test all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and to provide insight into understanding how the trivalent ion cobalt(III) hexammine (CoHex) affects the structure of RNA and DNA helices. We find that MD simulations capture the RNA structural change that occurs due to addition of CoHex.

A microfabricated fixed path length silicon sample holder improves background subtraction for cryoSAXS

The application of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for high-throughput characterization of biological macromolecules in solution is limited by radiation damage. By cryocooling samples, radiation damage and required sample volumes can be reduced by orders of magnitude. However, the challenges of reproducibly creating the identically sized vitrified samples necessary for conventional background subtraction limit the widespread adoption of this method. Fixed path length silicon sample holders for cryoSAXS have been microfabricated to address these challenges. They have low background scattering and X-ray absorption, require only 640 nl of sample, and allow reproducible sample cooling. Data collected in the sample holders from a nominal illuminated sample volume of 2.5 nl are reproducible down to q ≃ 0.02 Å-1, agree with previous cryoSAXS work and are of sufficient quality for reconstructions that match measured crystal structures. These sample holders thus allow faster, more routine cryoSAXS data collection. Additional development is required to reduce sample fracturing and improve data quality at low q.

Divalent ions tune the kinetics of a bacterial GTPase Center rRNA folding transition from secondary to tertiary structure

Folding of an RNA from secondary to tertiary structure often depends on divalent ions for efficient electrostatic charge screening (nonspecific association) or binding (specific association). To measure how different divalent cations modify folding kinetics of the 60 nucleotide E coli rRNA GTPase center, we combined stopped-flow fluorescence in the presence of Mg2+, Ca2+, or Sr2+ together with time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in the presence of Mg2+ to observe the folding process. Immediately upon addition of each divalent ion, the RNA undergoes a transition from an extended state with secondary structure to a more compact structure. Subsequently, specific divalent ions modulate populations of intermediates in conformational ensembles along the folding pathway with transition times longer than 10 msec. Rate constants for the five folding transitions act on timescales from submillisecond to tens of seconds. The sensitivity of RNA tertiary structure to divalent cation identity affects all but the fastest events in RNA folding, and allowed us to identify those states that prefer Mg2+ The GTPase center RNA appears to have optimized its folding trajectory to specifically utilize this most abundant intracellular divalent ion.

Revealing the distinct folding phases of an RNA three-helix junction

Abstract Remarkable new insight has emerged into the biological role of RNA in cells. RNA folding and dynamics enable many of these newly discovered functions, calling for an understanding of RNA self-assembly and conformational dynamics. Because RNAs pass through multiple structures as they fold, an ensemble perspective is required to visualize the flow through fleetingly populated sets of states. Here, we combine microfluidic mixing technology and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to measure the Mg-induced folding of a small RNA domain, the tP5abc three helix junction. Our measurements are interpreted using ensemble optimization to select atomically detailed structures that recapitulate each experimental curve. Structural ensembles, derived at key stages in both time-resolved studies and equilibrium titrations, reproduce the features of known intermediates, and more importantly, offer a powerful new structural perspective on the time-progression of folding. Distinct collapse phases along the pathway appear to be orchestrated by specific interactions with Mg ions. These key interactions subsequently direct motions of the backbone that position the partners of tertiary contacts for later bonding, and demonstrate a remarkable synergy between Mg and RNA across numerous time-scales.

Authentic Enzyme Intermediates Captured "on-the-fly" by Mix-and-Inject Serial Crystallography

Ever since the first structure of an enzyme was solved, the discovery of the mechanism and dynamics of reactions catalyzed by biomolecules has been the key goal for the understanding of the molecular processes that drive life on earth at the atomic scale. Despite a large number of successful methods for trapping reaction intermediates, the direct observation of an ongoing reaction at runtime has been possible only in rare and exceptional cases. Here, we demonstrate a general method for capturing enzyme catalysis ‘in action’ by ‘mix-and-inject serial crystallography’. Specifically, we follow the catalytic reaction of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-lactamase with the 3rd generation antibiotic ceftriaxone by time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography. The results reveal, in near atomic detail, antibiotic cleavage and inactivation on the millisecond to second time scales including the crossover from transition state kinetics to steady-state kinetics.

CryoSAXS as a Method for Measuring Low Resolution Macromolecular Structure

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is an increasingly popular technique for obtaining low resolution structural information from macromolecules and complexes in solution. Biomolecular SAXS signals can rapidly degrade due to radiation damage, so that flow or oscillating cells and large total sample volumes may be required. For particularly sensitive or hard to produce samples, such as of light sensitive proteins, metalloenzymes, and large complexes, and studies where multiple buffer conditions are probed sample consumption may be prohibitive. We describe cryo-cooling of samples to 100 K to prevent X-ray induced radiation damage. We identify SAXS-friendly cryoprotectant conditions that suppress ice formation upon cooling, and compare cryoSAXS profiles obtained in window-free variable-path-length cells with room temperature measurements for a variety of standard molecules. We obtain data sufficient for envelope reconstructions using scattering volumes as small as 20 nL, and find good agreement between cryoSAXS data and known atomic structures. We also discuss work on developing low-volume fixed path-length sample holders for cryoSAXS. Cryocooled samples can withstand doses that are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than typically used for SAXS at room temperature, comparable to those used in cryo-crystallography. While practical challenges remain, cryoSAXS opens the possibility of studies exploiting high brightness X-ray sources and mail-in high-throughput SAXS. This work is funded by the NSF (DBI-1152348).