Observation of all the components of elastic constants using tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme crystals dehydrated at 42% relative humidity

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2006 Apr;73(4 Pt 1):041910. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.73.041910. Epub 2006 Apr 10.

Abstract

Success in measuring transverse sound velocity allowed us to determine, for the first time, all six elastic constants of a protein crystal. An ultrasonic pulse-echo method was used to perform sound velocity measurements on tetragonal hen egg-white (HEW) lysozyme crystals that were partially dehydrated at 42% relative humidity. The measurements were performed using the (110), (101), and (001) crystallographic faces. Thus, all six elastic constants of the dehydrated tetragonal HEW lysozyme crystals were determined: C11=C22=12.44 GPa, C12=7.03 GPa, C13=C23=8.36 GPa, C33=12.79 GPa, C44=C55=2.97 GPa, and C66=2.63 GPa. In addition, for the hydrated crystals, the longitudinal sound velocities along the [110] direction and the direction normal to the (101) face were measured. From these results, all the components of elastic constants in the hydrated crystals were extrapolated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chickens
  • Computer Simulation
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Crystallography / methods*
  • Desiccation
  • Elasticity
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Multiprotein Complexes / analysis
  • Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry
  • Muramidase / analysis*
  • Muramidase / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Water
  • hen egg lysozyme
  • Muramidase