Crystallographic refinement of ricin to 2.5 Å

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Abstract
The plant cytotoxin ricin consists of two disulfide‐linked chains, each of about 30,000 daltons. An initial model based on a 2.8 Å MIR electron density map has been refined against 2.5 Å data using rounds of hand rebuilding coupled with either a restrained least squares algorithm or molecular dynamics (XPLOR). The last model (9) has an R factor of 21.6% and RMS deviations from standard bond lengths and angles of 0.021 Å and 4.67°, respectively. Refinement required several peptide segments in the original model to be adjusted translationally along the electron density. A wide range of lesser changes were also made. The RMS deviation of backbone atoms between the original and model 9 was 1.89 Å. Molecular dynamics proved to be a very powerful refinement tool. However, tests showed that it could not replace human intervention in making adjustments such as local translations of the peptide chain. The R factor is not a completely satisfactory indicator of refinement progress; difference Fouriers, when observed carefully, may be a better monitor.

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