Identification of grown-in dislocations in protein crystals by digital X-ray topography

X-ray topography is a useful and nondestructive method for direct observation of crystal defects in nearly perfect single crystals. The grown-in dislocations from the cross-linked seed crystal in tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme crystals were successfully characterized by digital X-ray topography. Digital X-ray topographs with various reflections were easily obtained by reconstruction of sequential rocking-curve images. The Burgers vector of the dislocation is different from those reported previously. Interestingly, one of the dislocations had a bent shape. The preferred direction of the dislocation line was analysed by the estimated dislocation energy based on the dislocation theory. The dislocation energy can be estimated by the dislocation theory even in protein crystals composed of macromolecules.

Automated summary

X-ray topography is a useful nondestructive method for observing crystal defects. In this study, dislocations in tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme crystals were successfully characterized using digital X-ray topography. The Burgers vector of the dislocation, as well as its bent shape and preferred direction, were analyzed based on dislocation theory.