Correlations in Scattered X-Ray Laser Pulses Reveal Nanoscale Structural Features of Viruses.

Kurta RP, Donatelli JJ, Yoon CH, Berntsen P, Bielecki J, Daurer BJ, DeMirci H, Fromme P, Hantke MF, Maia FRNC, Munke A, Nettelblad C, Pande K, Reddy HKN, Sellberg JA, Sierra RG, Svenda M, van der Schot G, Vartanyants IA, Williams GJ, Xavier PL, Aquila A, Zwart PH, Mancuso AP

Phys. Rev. Lett. 119 (15) 158102 [2017-10-13; online 2017-10-12]

We use extremely bright and ultrashort pulses from an x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) to measure correlations in x rays scattered from individual bioparticles. This allows us to go beyond the traditional crystallography and single-particle imaging approaches for structure investigations. We employ angular correlations to recover the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanoscale viruses from x-ray diffraction data measured at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Correlations provide us with a comprehensive structural fingerprint of a 3D virus, which we use both for model-based and abĀ initio structure recovery. The analyses reveal a clear indication that the structure of the viruses deviates from the expected perfect icosahedral symmetry. Our results anticipate exciting opportunities for XFEL studies of the structure and dynamics of nanoscale objects by means of angular correlations.

Affiliated researcher

PubMed 29077445

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.158102

Crossref 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.158102

pmc: PMC5757528
mid: NIHMS914609


Publications 9.5.1