Detalle de: X-Ray Crystallography of Biological Macromolecules: Fundamentals and Applications

X-ray crystallography is a powerful technique to determine the three-dimensional structure of any kind of molecule at atomic resolution, including that of biological macromolecules. This chapter covers the main concepts to understand the basic theory behind an X-ray diffraction crystal structure determination. The chapter outlines, from a practical viewpoint, the principal steps in order to facilitate the interpretation of the structural determination process. The steps include sample production and conditioning, crystallization, data collection and processing, structure determination, electron density map interpretation, model refinement, and validation of the solved and refined macromolecular structure. Finally, the chapter describes protein structural analysis and biological implications.