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J Stamatoff

Publications and source records attributed to J Stamatoff.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

The location of redox centers in biological membranes determined by resonance x-ray diffraction. I. Observation of the resonance effect.

We have developed resonance X-ray diffraction methods to locate for the first time intrinsic metal atoms associated with redox centers within biological membrane systems. The study of membranes containing dilute concentrations of resonant scatterers has been made possible by the development of synchrotron radiation sources of X-rays. The technique permits altering the scattering power of a particular atom relative to others by varying the incident X-ray energy. Thus, this method may be used to locate a metal atom within a complex integral protein without chemical modification of the membrane. We present resonance diffraction data taken with synchroton radiation for two different membrane systems: cytochrome oxidase incorporated into lipid vesicles and a photosynthetic reaction center-cytochrome c complex also reincorporated into lipid vesicles.

Cell Membrane↗

The location of redox centers in biological membranes determined by resonance x-ray diffraction. II. Analysis of the resonance diffraction data.

In the preceding paper (Stamatoff, J., Eisenberger, P., Blasie, J.K., Pachence, J.M., Tavormina, A., Erecinska, M., Dutton P.L. and Brown, G. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 679, 177-187), we described the observation of resonance X-ray scattering effects from intrinsic metal atoms associated with redox centers in membrane proteins on the lamellar X-ray diffraction from oriented multilayers of reconstituted membranes. In this paper, we discuss the possible methods of analysis of such data and present the results of our model refinement analysis concerning (a) the location of the cytochrome c heme iron atom in the profile structure of a reconstituted membrane containing a photosynthetic reaction center-cytochrome c complex and (b) the location of the heme a and a3 iron atoms in the profile structure of a reconstituted membrane containing cytochrome oxidase. The former results are of special importance because they provide a test of the validity of the resonance diffraction data and the methods of analysis, since the location of cytochrome c in the reaction center-cytochrome c membrane profile is known independently of the resonance diffraction experiments.

Animals↗

Amplitude of rippling in the P beta phase of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers.

We present x-ray diffraction results of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilayers in three structural phases. Using pure DPPC, precision temperature control, and high angular resolution methods, we have discovered splitting of the first diffraction order due to multilayering in the P(beta) phase. This splitting permits us to calculate the amplitude of ripples in this phase. The amplitude is large enough to suggest a structural mechanism for rippling.

Lipid Bilayers↗

X-ray scattering from labeled membranes.

We present a new method for the determination of structural parameters in biological membranes. Recording the continuous scattering of heavy-atom labeled membranes and applying elementary Fourier methods we obtain the scattering of the heavy-atom distribution alone. The details of this distribution are explored by developing a simple model and testing for cases relevant to biological membranes. We find that the intensity distribution is highly sensitive to many key parameters. The increased signal from heavy-atom labeling and the use of an improved x-ray system make it possible to record patterns from dilute membrane suspensions. Thus determination of these parameters is possible in the same environment where many membrane biochemical studies are performed. Application of the method is made to a model lipid bilayer membrane, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine by labeling with UO2++ ions. We determine the precise distance between UO2++ layers on either side of the membrane as well as the width of the label on each side. This determination permits estimation of phosphate separation across single labeled bilayers in an aqueous suspension.

Lipid Bilayers↗

An approach for time-resolved x-ray scattering.

Recent biological optical spectroscopic studies have correlated discrete spectroscopic states with biological function in several systems. One of the challenges of molecular biophysics is to correlate structural changes with these spectroscopic states. From small-angle x-ray scattering one can obtain a key structural parameter, the radius of gyration of solubilized proteins. The method described in this paper would permit determination small changes in the radius using polychromatic synchrotron radiation. The high flux of the storage ring combined with an enhancement factor of approximately 10(4), obtained by removing the requirement for monochromatic radiation, will permit determining the radius on a millisecond time scale. Unlike energy-dispersive methods, this method would use all available energies over a wide range of angles.

Mathematics↗