You should create a new directory for each test case.
When this tutorial is obtained as part of the CCP4 distribution, $MR_TUTORIAL corresponds to $CCP4/examples/mr_tutorial_2006
The files you will need are in the directory $MR_tutorial/data/s100/
Cell Content Analysis task indicates that there are likely to be 2 molecules in the asymmetric unit. The molecular weight is about 9700, with 91 residues in the molecule.
Run Sfcheck task to check the data. This shows no NCS translational patterson peak and minimal twinning
The self rotation function suggests that there is a non-crystallographic two-fold axis approximately perpendicular to the crystallographic 3-fold axis at omega ~90, phi ~ 20 and Kappa ~ 180.
You can run a self rotation from the "Molecular Replacement" module, using the "Self RF in polars" task, or as an option of MOLREP or Amore. View the MOLREP output by looking at the job.ps output file. (You may have to enter a suitable postscript viewing program for your PC under your System Administration folder)
The self-rotation function can give independent information about the contents and organisation of the asymmetric unit.
The radius of integration should be approximately the diameter of search model. For MOLREP this can be reset in the "Parameters for self-rotation Function" folder. In the s100 example the radius derived automatically by MOLREP based on the unit cell parameters is reasonable and there is no need to reset it manually.
It may also provide some knowledge of the oligomeric state of the unknown structure and suggest which model oligomer could be used as a search model.
If it is likely that the new structure has point group symmetry, the NCS operators from the self-rotation function can be used in the Locked Rotation Function.
However self-rotation results can be very confusing or misleading when there is high crystallographic symmetry as well as NCS.
There are many examples of s100 structures.
For this tutorial we have chosen 1irj.pdb, which has 46% identity. (See $MR_tutorial/data/s100/s100-1irj.oca for alignment - note 1irj has more residues than s100, so we will use CHAINSAW to prune it.)
The EBI PISA site (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/msd-srv/prot_int/pistart.html) suggests that chains A and B of this structure forms a tight dimer. You can download the "assembly" of Chains A and B from the site.
We will use both $MR_tutorial/data/s100/1irjA.pdb and $MR_tutorial/data/s100/1irjAB.pdb as possible search models.
Another choice for a model is 1mho.pdb with identity 38%. (see $MR_tutorial/data/s100/s100-1mho.oca for alignment)
This structure is in spacegroup C2221, and forms a dimer between the deposited molecule and its crystallographic symmetry partner generated by the operator x,-y,-z. You can once again download the assembly from the EBI PISA site.
Or alternatively: Use task "Edit PDB file" under module " Coordinate utilities" to generate this dimer. You need to select Use "pdbset" to " Generate chains via symmetry operators". The input pdb is $MR_tutorial/data/1mho_nohoh_monomer.pdb. Enter the symmetry operators x,y,z and x,-y,-z, and rename the chains A and B. Call the dimer models 1mho_nohoh_dimer.pdb.
Use "Create Search Model" task to edit these models ready for molecular replacement.
By default, the programs check whether the data are anisotropic, and if it is so, performs anisotropic correction. (In this example the anisotropy is not significant.)
By default MOLREP will use the molecular weight of the model to estimate how many copies of the model are likely to be in the asymmetric unit, assuming a solvent content of about 50%. (This can be overridden by setting NMOL.)
The programs then carry out the rotation function. and uses the conventional translation function to position one monomer.
Phaser now recalculates the rotation function modifying the data to take account of the found monomer, and does a translation function to find the second, (third and so on). It tests many solutions for the first monomer, and can be slow.
MOLREP does not recalculate a rotation function, and by default, only fixes the best of the first solutions. This means it is faster but can sometimes miss a solution.
There is no spacegroup ambiguity.(Spacegroup H3)
We can search with
The locked rotation function is applicable when the NCS operators form a point group (maybe together with a subset of operators of crystal point group).
In many cases with several copies of the model in the asymmetric unit, correct rotation function peaks are very low in the list and may not be tested by the translation function. These are the cases where locked-rotation function could help.
It applies selected NCS operators output by the self rotation function to all symmetry equivalents of the Cross Rotation Function peaks, and averages any sets which are consistent with selected NCS operator. This should enhance the correct peaks and reduce false ones. For s100, the use of the locked rotation function clearly improves the contrast in the orientation search. The correct peaks move to the first and second position.
Note that there are no significant changes in the Translation Function scores (as it should be).
If there are more than one monomer found, MOLREP tests all their symmetry equivalents to detect multimers. ( XXX Or is it only to identify dimers?) If a dimer is detected, the coordinates of the dimer are written in a separate pdb-file. If there is more than one dimer in the AU, the found dimer can be further used in consequential runs. In general, use of an oligomer increases the probability to find solution, provided that the search oligomer is similar to that in the unknown structure.
Phaser does a rigid body refinement by default using its maximum likelihood weighted scoring functionA XXX Should we comment on this? XXX.
For MOLREP the gain in CC and R can seem small, but these are not good criteria, when the model is still far from the real structure.
Amore does Rigid Body fitting by default and is extremely effective.
In all cases the starting model for the consequential restrained refinement is improved, and this improvement is sometimes crucial in terms of interpretation of the map after the restrained refinement.
When searching for multiple copies of a model, or searching for the same model in two different crystal forms, it often helps to do a preliminary refinement of the partial solution. That refined model is then used as the "fixed" molecule when looking for further domains. , and if there is more than one copy of it, as the search model for the next stage.
The files you will need are in the directory $MR_tutorial/data/itj3/
Matthews suggests one molecule in the asymmetric unit.
There is a spacegroup ambiguity; it could be either P6522 or P6122
Sfcheck shows no particular problems with data.
This is a sucrose-phosphatase (spp) from Synechocystis sp. pcc6803 in a closed conformation
There are several structures available in both the open and closed domain.
As an exercise we will choose a open domain model with 100% sequence identity, 1so2.pdb There are two obvious domains (check this with some graphics) so we can split the model into See $MR_tutorial/data/1tj3/1so2-domain1 and See $MR_tutorial/data/1tj3/1so2-domain2.
The spacegroup cannot be selected from the absences alone; P65 2 2 and P61 2 2 would both require that only reflections along the c* axis; 0 0 6n ; were observed. The rotation function solution requires knowledge of the point group only - it is Patterson based, but the translation search uses all the listed symmetry operators. You should check both spacegroups and see which gives the best result for the translation search. ( If you are a very cautious person, you may wish to check all spacegroups consistent with the point group - in this case P6 2 2, P61 2 2, P65 2 2, P62 2 2, P64 2 2, and P63 2 2.)
Automatic MR using the whole 1so2 model finds the solution, but the subsequent refinement does not improve the R-factors much, and the maps show re is no density for the domain~2. This is because of the flexibility of the molecule. It is worth noting that a domain in a wrong position is a double error in terms structure factors, and hence in terms of density interpretation. It is not present where it should be, and is present where it should not be.
It is better to solve the structure by parts, searching for one domain then the second. This can be done with MOLREP, Phaser, or Amore, searching for first domain 1 (the larger one), then fixing it to search for domain 2. At this stage we can use the phases of Domain 1 to help the translation search. (This is the default for Phaser and Amore.)
Thus, in this example, there are two steps of structure solution.
For PHASER it is a very straightforward run; name two ensembles and the program will search first for ensemble1 then ensemble2.
For MOLREP, first find the larger domain. (The expected number of monomers must be entered explicitly under "Search Parameters" because MOLREP estimates the number of monomers in the asymmetric unit of unknown crystal structure assuming a solvent content about 50%. As here each domain model is approximately half of the total molecule, the estimate will be wrong.)
Run a second job to find the second domain; On the GUI click 2input fixed model", set the "Model in" as the model for domain 2, and the "Fixed in" as the output of the first run of MOLREP. It may be sensible to improve the signal of the first domain by running some refinement cycles.
For this example, we will also describe a relatively new technique, MOLREP with Spherically Averaged Phased Translation Function (SAPTF) . To run this, first find the larger domain and run some refinement cycles. These will improve the model, and give an output mtz file with ML weighted coefficients FWT/PHWT which generate a 2mFo-DFc map. These are used as input for the SAPTF. GUI details are:
Given some estimates of phases and a model of a homologue protein, Molecular replacement techniques can be used to position the model into the density. The standard approach prescribes the following route:
The files you will need are in the directory $MR_tutorial/data/pst/
Matthews indicates there are likely to be 4 molecules in the asymmetric unit.
Sfcheck finds a non-crystallographic translation vector.
MOLREP will check for translational NCS and uses this information when performs the translation function. In effect, the search model contains two monomers related by non-crystallographic translation, although technically everything is done in the reciprocal space.
The self-rotation function shows there is a non-crystallographic two-fold axis.
There is a partial model 1moe with 64% identity over 228 of 286 residues. The last 50 residues are absent from this molecule. See $MR_tutorial/data/pst/pst-1moe.oca for alignment.)
Inspection on the graphics shows there is a flexible hinge at residue 113. The model 1moe forms a dimer with close contacts between domain 1 of chain A and domain 2 of chain B.
Various search models were tried. All were modified using CHAINSAW.
The search with the whole dimer fails. This is not surprising since the orientation of the two domains proves to be completely different in this crystal form.
The search for eight fragments is partially successful in PHASER.
Molrep is successful using domain1 of A and domain 2 of B as the search model after fixing both the translational NCS and using the locked rotation function.
In the end the best model is made up of domain 1 of molecule A and domain 2 of molecule B.