Methods used in the structure determination of bovine mitochondrial F1 ATPase

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 1996 Jan 1;52(Pt 1):30-42. doi: 10.1107/S0907444995008754.

Abstract

With a size of 372 kDa, the F(1) ATPase particle is the largest asymmetric structure solved to date. Isomorphous differences arising from reacting the crystals with methyl-mercury nitrate at two concentrations allowed the structure determination. Careful data collection and data processing were essential in this process as well as a new form of electron-density modification, 'solvent flipping'. The most important feature of this new procedure is that the electron density in the solvent region is inverted rather than set to a constant value, as in conventional solvent flattening. All non-standard techniques and variations on new techniques which were employed in the structure determination are described.