Nov 28 2007, 1:19 PM EST
News source: Business Wire
Fluidigm has announced that the TOPAZ(R) system has been used to determine the crystal structure of myrGCAP1, a protein that belongs to a family of Neuronal Calcium Sensors that play a significant role in phototransduction. The structure provides insight into the biochemical interactions that affect how our eyes adjust to different light conditions. The finding will assist researchers in understanding retinal degeneration that may lead to vision loss. The full details of the structure are described in an article titled "Stabilizing Function for Myristoyl Group Revealed by the Crystal Structure of a Neuronal Calcium Sensor, Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Protein 1", published in the November 13, 2007 issue of Structure.
"The use of free interface diffusion in TOPAZ screening chips allowed us to explore a wider range of reagent space and resulted in new crystallization conditions for myrGCAP1," says Dr. Marcelo Sousa, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Conventional methods involve the use of microwell plates, which typically employ vapor diffusion methods and require at least ten times more protein for crystallization trials.
Researchers used the TOPAZ screening chips to identify initial crystallization conditions for myrGCAP1. TOPAZ translation protocols were then used to produce diffraction-quality crystals using vapor diffusion methods. The crystals produced X-ray data to a resolution of 2.0 Angstroms at beamline 8.3.1 at the Advanced Light Source.
TOPAZ screening chips are capable of running up to 768 experiments in parallel using only 1 microliter of protein per 96 conditions. The TOPAZ system also includes the most effective analysis software for scoring crystals and managing the vast amount of data obtained from crystallization experiments. The system is unique because it uses integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) -- a network of channels, valves and chambers -- designed for crystallization using the free interface diffusion technique.
About Fluidigm Corporation
Fluidigm Corporation develops and distributes systems based on the unique properties of integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) to control precisely fluids on a nanoliter volume scale. The Company's vision is to create and to lead a new industry in which IFCs bring unparalleled efficiencies to the life science and allied fields. Based in South San Francisco, California, the Company is privately held and backed by premier investors: Versant Ventures, Euclid SR Partners, InterWest Partners, Alloy Ventures, Lehman Brothers Healthcare Fund, Bio*One Capital, Bruce Burrows, Lilly BioVentures, the Invus Group, SightLine Partners, AllianceBernstein, Wasatch Advisors and its affiliate, Cross Creek Capital, and GE Equity.
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