Robust, High-Throughput Solution Structural Analysis by SAXS

In this paper, published online today in Nature Methods, the high-throughput SAXS capabilities of the SIBYLS beamline are demonstrated quite nicely.

We present an efficient pipeline enabling high-throughput analysis of protein structure in solution with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Our SAXS pipeline combines automated sample handling of microliter volumes, temperature and anaerobic control, rapid data collection and data analysis, and couples structural analysis with automated archiving. We subjected 50 representative proteins, mostly from Pyrococcus furiosus, to this pipeline and found that 30 were multimeric structures in solution. SAXS analysis allowed us to distinguish aggregated and unfolded proteins, define global structural parameters and oligomeric states for most samples, identify shapes and similar structures for 25 unknown structures, and determine envelopes for 41 proteins. We believe that high-throughput SAXS is an enabling technology that may change the way that structural genomics research is done.

Hura GL, Menon AL, Hammel M, Rambo RP, Poole II FL, Tsutakawa SE, Jenney Jr FE, Classen S, Frankel KA, Hopkins RC, Yang S, Scott JW, Dillard BD, Adams MWW, & Tainer JA, “Robust, high-throughput solution structural analyses by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)” Nature Methods. 2009 Aug;6(8):606-12.