I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25186]
Open Access
Abstract: Li-ion batteries based on Ni-rich layered cathodes are the state-of-the-art technology for electric vehicles; however, batteries using these advanced materials suffer from rapid performance fading. In this work, we report a critical turning point during the aging of graphite/LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) full cells, after which the degradation is significantly accelerated. This turning point was identified using differential voltage analysis (DVA) applied to standard two-electrode data, which shows that graphite becomes progressively less lithiated, as confirmed by operando long-duration X-ray diffraction, and therefore has a higher electrochemical potential at the end of charge. This increase leads to a proportional increase in the cathode potential, and an accelerated impedance increase is observed from this point. This mechanism is expected to be universal for the vast majority of Li-ion battery chemistries, particularly for Ni-rich cathodes, whose degradation is extremely sensitive to the upper cutoff voltage, and our work provides fundamental guidelines for developing effective countermeasures.
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Nov 2020
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I02-Macromolecular Crystallography
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Sander
Herfst
,
Jie
Zhang
,
Mathilde
Richard
,
Ryan
Mcbride
,
Pascal
Lexmond
,
Theo M.
Bestebroer
,
Monique I. J.
Spronken
,
Dennis
De Meulder
,
Judith M.
Van Den Brand
,
Miruna E.
Rosu
,
Stephen R.
Martin
,
Steven J.
Gamblin
,
Xiaoli
Xiong
,
Wenjie
Peng
,
Rogier
Bodewes
,
Erhard
Van Der Vries
,
Albert D. M. E.
Osterhaus
,
James C.
Paulson
,
John J.
Skehel
,
Ron A. M.
Fouchier
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9826, 13775]
Abstract: In 2014, an outbreak of avian A/H10N7 influenza virus occurred among seals along North-European coastal waters, significantly impacting seal populations. Here, we examine the cross-species transmission and mammalian adaptation of this influenza A virus, revealing changes in the hemagglutinin surface protein that increase stability and receptor binding. The seal A/H10N7 virus was aerosol or respiratory droplet transmissible between ferrets. Compared with avian H10 hemagglutinin, seal H10 hemagglutinin showed stronger binding to the human-type sialic acid receptor, with preferential binding to α2,6-linked sialic acids on long extended branches. In X-ray structures, changes in the 220-loop of the receptor-binding pocket caused similar interactions with human receptor as seen for pandemic strains. Two substitutions made seal H10 hemagglutinin more stable than avian H10 hemagglutinin and similar to human hemagglutinin. Consequently, identification of avian-origin influenza viruses across mammals appears critical to detect influenza A viruses posing a major threat to humans and other mammals.
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Oct 2020
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I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18069]
Open Access
Abstract: The Aurora B chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is a conserved regulator of mitosis. Its functions require localization first to the chromosome arms and then centromeres in mitosis and subsequently the central spindle in anaphase. Here, we analyze the requirements for core CPC subunits, survivin and INCENP, and the mitotic kinesin-like protein 2 (MKLP2) in targeting to these distinct localizations. Centromere recruitment of the CPC requires interaction of survivin with histone H3 phosphorylated at threonine 3, and we provide a complete structure of this assembly. Furthermore, we show that the INCENP RRKKRR-motif is required for both centromeric localization of the CPC in metaphase and MKLP2-dependent transport in anaphase. MKLP2 and DNA bind competitively to this motif, and INCENP T59 phosphorylation acts as a switch preventing MKLP2 binding in metaphase. In anaphase, CPC binding promotes the microtubule-dependent ATPase activity of MKLP2. These results explain how centromere targeting of the CPC in mitosis is coupled to its movement to the central spindle in anaphase.
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Jul 2020
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B21-High Throughput SAXS
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20221]
Abstract: Guanylate cyclase activating protein 1 (GCAP1) is a neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) involved in the early biochemical steps underlying the phototransduction cascade. By switching from a Ca2+-bound form in the dark to a Mg2+-bound state following light activation of the cascade, GCAP1 triggers the activation of the retinal guanylate cyclase (GC), thus replenishing the levels of 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) necessary to re-open CNG channels. Here, we investigated the structural and functional effects of three missense mutations in GCAP1 associated with cone-rod dystrophy, which severely perturb the homeostasis of cGMP and Ca2+. Substitutions affect residues directly involved in Ca2+ coordination in either EF3 (D100G) or EF4 (E155A and E155G) Ca2+ binding motifs. We found that all GCAP1 variants form relatively stable dimers showing decreased apparent affinity for Ca2+ and blocking the enzyme in a constitutively active state at physiological levels of Ca2+. Interestingly, by corroborating spectroscopic experiments with molecular dynamics simulations we show that beside local structural effects, mutation of the bidentate glutamate in an EF-hand calcium binding motif can profoundly perturb the flexibility of the adjacent EF-hand as well, ultimately destabilizing the whole domain. Therefore, while Ca2+-binding to GCAP1 per se occurs sequentially, allosteric effects may connect EF hand motifs, which appear to be essential for the integrity of the structural switch mechanism in GCAP1, and perhaps in other NCS proteins.
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Jul 2020
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
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Tessa
Keenan
,
Fabio
Parmeggiani
,
Julien
Malassis
,
Clement Q.
Fontenelle
,
Jean-baptiste
Vendeville
,
Wendy
Offen
,
Peter
Both
,
Kun
Huang
,
Andrea
Marchesi
,
Alex
Heyam
,
Carl
Young
,
Simon J.
Charnock
,
Gideon J.
Davies
,
Bruno
Linclau
,
Sabine L.
Flitsch
,
Martin A.
Fascione
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[13587, 18598]
Abstract: Fluorinated sugar-1-phosphates are of emerging importance as intermediates in the chemical and biocatalytic synthesis of modified oligosaccharides, as well as probes for chemical biology. Here we present a systematic study of the activity of a wide range of anomeric sugar kinases (galacto- and N-acetylhexosamine kinases) against a panel of fluorinated monosaccharides, leading to the first examples of polyfluorinated substrates accepted by this class of enzymes. We have discovered four new N-acetylhexosamine kinases with a different substrate scope, thus expanding the number of homologs available in this subclass of kinases. Lastly, we have solved the crystal structure of a galactokinase in complex with 2-deoxy-2-fluorogalactose, giving insight into changes in the active site that may account for the specificity of the enzyme toward certain substrate analogs.
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Jul 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Alexander
Greenshields-watson
,
Meriem
Attaf
,
Bruce J.
Maclachlan
,
Thomas
Whalley
,
Cristina
Rius
,
Aaron
Wall
,
Angharad
Lloyd
,
Hywel
Hughes
,
Kathryn E.
Strange
,
Georgina H.
Mason
,
Andrea J.
Schauenburg
,
Sarah L.
Hulin-curtis
,
James
Geary
,
Yuan
Chen
,
Sarah N.
Lauder
,
Kathryn
Smart
,
Dhanasekaran
Vijaykrishna
,
Miguel L.
Grau
,
Mikhail
Shugay
,
Robert
Andrews
,
Garry
Dolton
,
Pierre J.
Rizkallah
,
Awen M.
Gallimore
,
Andrew K.
Sewell
,
Andrew J.
Godkin
,
David K.
Cole
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[10462, 14843]
Open Access
Abstract: T cell recognition of peptides presented by human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) is mediated by the highly variable T cell receptor (TCR). Despite this built-in TCR variability, individuals can mount immune responses against viral epitopes by using identical or highly related TCRs expressed on CD8+ T cells. Characterization of these TCRs has extended our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the recognition of peptide-HLA. However, few examples exist for CD4+ T cells. Here, we investigate CD4+ T cell responses to the internal proteins of the influenza A virus that correlate with protective immunity. We identify five internal epitopes that are commonly recognized by CD4+ T cells in five HLA-DR1+ subjects and show conservation across viral strains and zoonotic reservoirs. TCR repertoire analysis demonstrates several shared gene usage biases underpinned by complementary biochemical features evident in a structural comparison. These epitopes are attractive targets for vaccination and other T cell therapies.
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Jul 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18565]
Open Access
Abstract: Specific interactions between proteins and DNA are essential to many biological processes. Yet, it remains unclear how the diversification in DNA-binding specificity was brought about, and the mutational paths that led to changes in specificity are unknown. Using a pair of evolutionarily related DNA-binding proteins, each with a different DNA preference (ParB [Partitioning Protein B] and Noc [Nucleoid Occlusion Factor], which both play roles in bacterial chromosome maintenance), we show that specificity is encoded by a set of four residues at the protein-DNA interface. Combining X-ray crystallography and deep mutational scanning of the interface, we suggest that permissive mutations must be introduced before specificity-switching mutations to reprogram specificity and that mutational paths to new specificity do not necessarily involve dual-specificity intermediates. Overall, our results provide insight into the possible evolutionary history of ParB and Noc and, in a broader context, might be useful for understanding the evolution of other classes of DNA-binding proteins.
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Jul 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
Krios I-Titan Krios I at Diamond
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Jiandong
Huo
,
Yuguang
Zhao
,
Jingshan
Ren
,
Daming
Zhou
,
Helen M. E.
Duyvesteyn
,
Helen M.
Ginn
,
Loic
Carrique
,
Tomas
Malinauskas
,
Reinis R.
Ruza
,
Pranav N. M.
Shah
,
Tiong Kit
Tan
,
Pramila
Rijal
,
Naomi
Coombes
,
Kevin R.
Bewley
,
Julia A.
Tree
,
Julika
Radecke
,
Neil
Paterson
,
Piyasa
Supasa
,
Juthathip
Mongkolsapaya
,
Gavin R.
Screaton
,
Miles
Carroll
,
Alain
Townsend
,
Elizabeth E.
Fry
,
Raymond J.
Owens
,
David I.
Stuart
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19946, 26983]
Open Access
Abstract: There are as yet no licenced therapeutics for the COVID-19 pandemic. The causal coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) binds host cells via a trimeric Spike whose receptor binding domain (RBD) recognises angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), initiating conformational changes that drive membrane fusion. We find that the monoclonal antibody CR3022 binds the RBD tightly, neutralising SARS-CoV-2 and report the crystal structure at 2.4 Å of the Fab/RBD complex. Some crystals are suitable for screening for entry-blocking inhibitors. The highly conserved, structure-stabilising, CR3022 epitope is inaccessible in the prefusion Spike, suggesting that CR3022 binding facilitates conversion to the fusion-incompetent post-fusion state. Cryo-EM analysis confirms that incubation of Spike with CR3022 Fab leads to destruction of the prefusion trimer. Presentation of this cryptic epitope in an RBD-based vaccine might advantageously focus immune responses. Binders at this epitope may be useful therapeutically, possibly in synergy with an antibody blocking receptor attachment.
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Jun 2020
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B24-Cryo Soft X-ray Tomography
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Ilias
Kounatidis
,
Megan L.
Stanifer
,
Michael A.
Phillips
,
Perrine
Paul-gilloteaux
,
Xavier
Heiligenstein
,
Hongchang
Wang
,
Chidinma
Okolo
,
Thomas M.
Fish
,
Matthew C.
Spink
,
David I.
Stuart
,
Ilan
Davis
,
Steeveh
Boulant
,
Jonathan M.
Grimes
,
Ian M.
Dobbie
,
Maria
Harkiolaki
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[21046, 18314]
Open Access
Abstract: Imaging of biological matter across resolution scales entails the challenge of preserving the direct and unambiguous correlation of subject features from the macroscopic to the microscopic level. Here, we present a correlative imaging platform developed specifically for imaging cells in 3D under cryogenic conditions by using X-rays and visible light. Rapid cryo-preservation of biological specimens is the current gold standard in sample preparation for ultrastructural analysis in X-ray imaging. However, cryogenic fluorescence localization methods are, in their majority, diffraction-limited and fail to deliver matching resolution. We addressed this technological gap by developing an integrated, user-friendly platform for 3D correlative imaging of cells in vitreous ice by using super-resolution structured illumination microscopy in conjunction with soft X-ray tomography. The power of this approach is demonstrated by studying the process of reovirus release from intracellular vesicles during the early stages of infection and identifying intracellular virus-induced structures.
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Jun 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Matteo
Marchesini
,
Andrea
Gherli
,
Anna
Montanaro
,
Laura
Patrizi
,
Claudia
Sorrentino
,
Luca
Pagliaro
,
Chiara
Rompietti
,
Samuel
Kitara
,
Sabine
Heit
,
Claus E.
Olesen
,
Jesper V.
Møller
,
Monia
Savi
,
Leonardo
Bocchi
,
Rocchina
Vilella
,
Federica
Rizzi
,
Marilena
Baglione
,
Giorgia
Rastelli
,
Caterina
Loiacono
,
Roberta
La Starza
,
Cristina
Mecucci
,
Kimberly
Stegmaier
,
Franco
Aversa
,
Donatella
Stilli
,
Anne-marie
Lund Winther
,
Paolo
Sportoletti
,
Maike
Bublitz
,
William
Dalby-brown
,
Giovanni
Roti
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18069]
Abstract: The identification of SERCA (sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase) as a target for modulating gain-of-function NOTCH1 mutations in Notch-dependent cancers has spurred the development of this compound class for cancer therapeutics. Despite the innate toxicity challenge associated with SERCA inhibition, we identified CAD204520, a small molecule with better drug-like properties and reduced off-target Ca2+ toxicity compared with the SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin. In this work, we describe the properties and complex structure of CAD204520 and show that CAD204520 preferentially targets mutated over wild-type NOTCH1 proteins in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Uniquely among SERCA inhibitors, CAD204520 suppresses NOTCH1-mutated leukemic cells in a T-ALL xenografted model without causing cardiac toxicity. This study supports the development of SERCA inhibitors for Notch-dependent cancers and extends their application to cases with isolated mutations in the PEST degradation domain of NOTCH1, such as MCL or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
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May 2020
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