Elizabeth Towns-Andrews

Density fluctuations: The nucleation event in isotactic polypropylene crystallization

The present study was undertaken tc investigate the mechanism for primary nucleation in polymer crystallization. Previous studies in this area have not been conclusive. Experiments on polypropylene with long induction times, studied by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS), reveal the onset of long-range ordering prior to crystal growth. Rapid crystallizations studied by melt extrusion indicate the development of well-resolved oriented SAXS patterns associated with long-range order before the development of crystalline peaks in the WAXS region. The experimental results suggest pre-nucleation density fluctuations play an integral role in nucleation of polymer crystallizaticn.

Low resolution structure of microtubules in solution: Synchrotron X-ray scattering and electron microscopy of taxol-induced microtubules assembled from purified tubulin in comparison with glycerol and MAP-induced microtubules☆

The structure of microtubules has been characterized to 3 nm resolution employing time-resolved X-ray scattering. This has revealed detailed structural features of microtubules not observed before in solution. The polymerization of highly purified tubulin, induced by the antitumour drug taxol, has been employed as a microtubule model system. This assembly reaction requires Mg2+, is optimal at a 1:1 taxol to tubulin heterodimer molar ratio, proceeds with GTP or GDP and is intrinsically reversible. The X-ray scattering profiles are consistent with identical non-globular alpha and beta-tubulin monomers ordered within the known helical surface lattice of microtubules. Purified tubulin-taxol microtubules have a smaller mean diameter (approx. 22 nm) than those induced by microtubule associated proteins or glycerol (approx. 24 nm), but nearly identical wall substructure to the resolution of the measurements. This is because the majority of the former consist of only 12 protofilaments instead of the typical 13 protofilaments, as confirmed by electron microscopy of thin-sectioned, negatively stained and ice-embedded taxol microtubules. It may be concluded that taxol induces a slight reduction of the lateral contact curvature between tubulin monomers. The main fringe pattern observed in cryo-electron micrographs is consistent with a simple 12 protofilament 3-start skewed lattice model. Cylindrical closure of this lattice can be achieved by tilting the lattice 0.8 degrees with respect to the microtubule axis. The closure implies a discontinuity in the type of lateral contacts between the tubulin monomers (regardless of whether these are of the -alpha-beta- or the -alpha-alpha-/-beta-beta- type), which indicates that lateral contacts and the subunit specificity of taxol binding are, to a large degree, equivalent.

Time‐resolved x‐ray diffraction station: X‐ray optics, detectors, and data acquisition

A new x‐ray beamline has recently been built, and is now operational, on dipole magnet 2 of the Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS) at Daresbury. This beamline takes 32 mrad of horizontal aperture from a central tangent point. The time‐resolved x‐ray diffraction (TRXD) Station 2.1, takes 17 mrad of horizontal aperture and is the central point of this paper. Beamline 2 has been realized as part of a SERC–MRC agreement.

Crystallization of nanoscale-confined diblock copolymer chains

Crystallization of polymer chains between hard glassy walls or between amorphous domains in a nanoscale lamellar structure has been observed using simultaneous small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). Semicrystalline symmetric diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene) (PE) and a room-temperature glassy or amorphous component were shear oriented in the high temperature lamellar melt, then quenched below the PE melt temperature. For the glassy sample, the orientation of chain-folded PE stems was deduced from SAXS/WAXS peak positions to be parallel to the lamellar interface. Diffuse scattering bars consistent with lateral positional correlations of the PE crystallites were observed only in the SAXS patterns for the glassy sample with the X-rays incident parallel to the lamellae. In contrast, in a sample containing amorphous lamellae, PE crystallization occurred with weak crystallite orientation and no lateral positional correlations of crystallites.

X-Ray Diffraction Indicates That Active Cross-Bridges Bind to Actin Target Zones in Insect Flight Muscle

We report the first time-resolved study of the two-dimensional x-ray diffraction pattern during active contraction in insect flight muscle (IFM). Activation of demembranated Lethocerus IFM was triggered by 1.5-2.5% step stretches (risetime 10 ms; held for 1.5 s) giving delayed active tension that peaked at 100-200 ms. Bundles of 8-12 fibers were stretch-activated on SRS synchrotron x-ray beamline 16.1, and time-resolved changes in diffraction were monitored with a SRS 2-D multiwire detector. As active tension rose, the 14.5- and 7.2-nm meridionals fell, the first row line dropped at the 38.7 nm layer line while gaining a new peak at 19.3 nm, and three outer peaks on the 38.7-nm layer line rose. The first row line changes suggest restricted binding of active myosin heads to the helically preferred region in each actin target zone, where, in rigor, two-headed lead bridges bind, midway between troponin bulges that repeat every 38.7 nm. Halving this troponin repeat by binding of single active heads explains the intensity rise at 19.3 nm being coupled to a loss at 38.7 nm. The meridional changes signal movement of at least 30% of all myosin heads away from their axially ordered positions on the myosin helix. The 38.7- and 19.3-nm layer line changes signal stereoselective attachment of 7-23% of the myosin heads to the actin helix, although with too little ordering at 6-nm resolution to affect the 5.9-nm actin layer line. We conclude that stretch-activated tension of IFM is produced by cross-bridges that bind to rigors lead-bridge target zones, comprising < or = 1/3 of the 75-80% that attach in rigor.

Two-dimensional time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies of live isometrically contracting frog sartorius muscle.

SummaryResults were obtained from contracting frog muscles by collecting high quality time-resolved, two-dimensional, X-ray diffraction patterns at the British Synchrotron Radiation Source (SERC, Daresbury, Laboratory). The structural transitions associated with isometric tension generation were recorded under conditions in which the three-dimensional order characteristic of the rest state is either present or absent. In both cases, new layer lines appear during tension generation, subsequent to changes from activation events in the filaments. Compared with the ‘decorated’ actin layer lines of the rigor state, the spacings of the new layer lines are similar whereas their intensities differ substantially. We conclude that in contracting muscle an actomyosin complex is formed whose structure is not like that in rigor, although it is possible that the interacting sites are the same. Transition from rest to plateau of tension is accompanied by approximately 1.6% increase in the axial spacing of the myosin layer lines. This is explained as arising from the axial disposition of the interacting myosin heads in the actomyosin complex. Model calculations are presented which support this view. We argue that in a situation where an actomyosin complex is formed during contraction, one cannot describe the diffraction features as being either thick or thin filament based. Accordingly, the layer lines seen during tension generation are referred to as actomyosin layer lines. It is shown that these layer lines can be indexed as submultiples of a minimum axial repeat of approximately 218.7 nm. After lattice disorder effects are taken into account, the intensity increases on the 15th and 21st AM layer lines at spacings of approximately 14.58 and 10.4 nm respectively, show the same time course as tension rise. However, the time course of the intensity increase of the other actomyosin layer lines and of the spacing change (which is the same for both phenomena) shows a substantial lead over tension rise. These findings suggest that the actomyosin complex formed prior to tension rise is a non-tension-generating state and that this is followed by a transition of the complex to a tension-generating state. The intensity increase in the 15th actomyosin layer line, which parallels tension rise, can be accounted for assuming that in the tension-generating state the attached heads adopt (axially) a more perpendicular orientation with respect to the muscle axis than is seen at rest or in the non-tension-generating state. This suggests the existence of at least two structurally distinct interacting myosin head conformations. The results of comparing the meridional intensities between the myosin layer lines at rest and the actomyosin layer lines at the plateau of tension (measured to a resolution of approximately 2.6 nm) are interpreted to indicate that the majority of the myosin heads in the actomyosin complex do not perform random axial rotations with a mean value greater than approximately 3.0 nm. From this we conclude that the extent of axial order in the interacting heads must be at least as high as is that of resting heads.

Synchrotron X-ray investigations into the lamellar gel phase formed in pharmaceutical creams prepared with cetrimide and fatty alcohols

Semisolid liquid paraffin-in-water emulsions (aqueous creams) prepared from cetrimide/fatty alcohol mixed emulsifiers, and ternary systems formed by dispersing the mixed emulsifier in controlled percentages of water were examined as they aged using a combination of low and high angle X-ray diffraction measurements (Daresbury Laboratory Synchrotron Radiation Source). The results were correlated with the rheological properties measured in earlier studies. The cationic emulsifying wax showed phenomenal swelling in water. The reflection that incorporates interlamellar water increased continuously from 74 A at 28% water to over 500 A at 93% water. The trend was not influenced by the method of incorporation of the components and swollen lamellar phase was also identified in the corresponding emulsion. The swelling, which was due to electrostatic repulsion, was suppressed by salt and was reduced when the surfactant counterion was changed from Br(-) to Cl(-). Changes in rheological properties on storage and in the presence of salt were correlated with changes in water layer thickness. High angle diffraction confirmed that the hydrocarbon bilayers were in the hexagonal alpha-crystalline mode of packing. Ternary systems and creams prepared from pure alcohols, although initially semisolid, were rheologically unstable and broke down. Low angle X-ray study into the kinetics of structure breakdown showed that the swollen lamellar gel phase formed initially swells even further on storage before separating.

Time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies of myosin head movements in live frog sartorius muscle during isometric and isotonic contractions

SummaryUsing the facilities at the Daresbury Synchrotron Radiation Source, meridional diffraction patterns of muscles at ca 8°C were recorded with a time resolution of 2 or 4 ms. In isometric contractions tetanic peak tension (P0) is reached in ca 400 ms. Under such conditions, following stimulation from rest, the timing of changes in the major reflections (the 38.2 nm troponin reflection, and the 21.5 and 14.34/14.58 nm myosin reflections) can be explained in terms of four types of time courses: K1, K2, K3 and K4. The onset of K1 occurs immediately after stimulation, but that of K2, K3 and K4 is delayed by a latent period of ca 16 ms. Relative to the end of their own latent periods the half-times for K1, K2, K3 and K4 are 14–16, 16, 32 and 52 ms, respectively. In half-times, K1, K2, K3 lead tension rise by 52, 36 and 20 ms, respectively. K4 parallels the time course of tension rise. From an analysis of the data we conclude that K1 reflects thin filament activation which involves the troponin system; K2 arises from an order-disorder transition during which the register between the filaments is lost; K3 is due to the formation of an acto-myosin complex which (at P0) causes 70% or more of the heads to diffract with actin-based periodicities; and K4 is caused by a change in the axial orientation of the myosin heads (relative to thin filament axis) which is estimated to be from 65–70° at rest to ca 90° at P0. Isotonic contraction experiments showed that during shortening under a load of ca 0.27 P0, at least 85% of the heads (relative to those forming an acto-myosin complex at P0) diffract with actin-based periodicities, whilst their axial orientation does not change from that at rest. During shortening under a negligible load, at most 5–10% of the heads (relative to those forming an acto-myosin complex at P0) diffract with actin-based periodicities, and their axial orientation also remains the same as that at rest. This suggests that in isometric contractions the change in axial orientation is not the cause of active tension production, but rather the result of it. Analysis of the data reveals that independent of load, the extent of asynchronous axial motions executed by most of the cycling heads is no more than 0.5–0.65 nm greater than at rest. To account for the diffraction data in terms of the conventional tilting head model one would have to suppose that a few of the heads, and/or a small part of their mass perform the much larger motions demanded by that model. Therefore we conclude either that the required information is not available in our patterns or that an alternative hypothesis for contraction has to be developed.

W16.1: A new fixed wavelength diffraction station at the SRS Daresbury

Station W16.1 is a fixed wavelength (1.4 A) x‐ray diffraction station recently constructed and commissioned at the SRS. It has been designed specifically for time‐resolved studies of noncrystalline and fibrous materials and optimized for low angle measurements. Wide angle diffraction will also be available with simultaneous small and wide angle scattering/diffraction a future facility. In order to perform dynamic (∼1 ms) low angle measurements on weakly scattering systems, the station design has had to incorporate several novel features so as to achieve the predicted 1×1013 photon/s at the specimen.

Structural intermediates in the assembly of taxoid-induced microtubules and GDP-tubulin double rings: time-resolved X-ray scattering

We have studied the self-association reactions of purified GDP-liganded tubulin into double rings and taxoid-induced microtubules, employing synchrotron time-resolved x-ray solution scattering. The experimental scattering profiles have been interpreted by reference to the known scattering profiles to 3 nm resolution and to the low-resolution structures of the tubulin dimer, tubulin double rings, and microtubules, and by comparison with oligomer models and model mixtures. The time courses of the scattering bands corresponding to the different structural features were monitored during the assembly reactions under varying biochemical conditions. GDP-tubulin essentially stays as a dimer at low Mg(2+) ion activity, in either the absence or presence of taxoid. Upon addition of the divalent cations, it associates into either double-ring aggregates or taxoid-induced microtubules by different pathways. Both processes have the formation of small linear (short protofilament-like) tubulin oligomers in common. Tubulin double-ring aggregate formation, which is shown by x-ray scattering to be favored in the GDP- versus the GTP-liganded protein, can actually block microtubule assembly. The tubulin self-association leading to double rings, as determined by sedimentation velocity, is endothermic. The formation of the double-ring aggregates from oligomers, which involves additional intermolecular contacts, is exothermic, as shown by x-ray and light scattering. Microtubule assembly can be initiated from GDP-tubulin dimers or oligomers. Under fast polymerization conditions, after a short lag time, open taxoid-induced microtubular sheets have been clearly detected (monitored by the central scattering and the maximum corresponding to the J(n) Bessel function), which slowly close into microtubules (monitored by the appearance of their characteristic J(0), J(3), and J (n) - (3) Bessel function maxima). This provides direct evidence for the bidimensional assembly of taxoid-induced microtubule polymers in solution and argues against helical growth. The rate of microtubule formation was increased by the same factors known to enhance taxoid-induced microtubule stability. The results suggest that taxoids induce the accretion of the existing Mg(2+)-induced GDP-tubulin oligomers, thus forming small bidimensional polymers that are necessary to nucleate the microtubular sheets, possibly by binding to or modifying the lateral interaction sites between tubulin dimers.