X-ray Diffraction Studies

The three-dimensional structure of proteins is best described by X-ray diffraction, a method that uses the diffraction patterns of X-rays off of proteins to elucidate protein structure. However, this method has severe limitations because the sample has to be a high quality crystal. The other obvious limitation is that proteins cannot be studied in solution state(1).

Since it is a highly accurate method, most X-ray diffraction studies are done simply to determine protein structure. These studies usually contain information on a method for crystallization of proteins since it is not easily done(13). The picture below of the structure of sperm whale hemoglobin was drawn entirely from X-ray data. This is a good example of how accurate this technique is for determining the structures of complex biological molecules(22).

(22)

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