Science, Vol 240, Issue 4849, 194-196
Copyright © 1988 by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Electric field x-ray scattering measurements on tobacco mosaic virus
MH Koch,
E Dorrington,
R Klaring,
AM Michon,
Z Sayers,
R Marquet,
and
C Houssier
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, c/o DESY, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
The feasibility of electric field x-ray solution scattering with biological macromolecules was investigated. Electric field pulses (1.25 to 5.5 kilovolts per centimeter) were used to orient tobacco mosaic virus in solution (4.5 milligrams per milliliter). The x-ray scattering is characteristic of isolated oriented particles. The molecular orientation and its field-free decay were monitored with a time resolution of 2 milliseconds by means of synchrotron radiation and a multiwire proportional area detector. The method should also be applicable to synthetic polymers and inorganic colloids.
