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Small‐angle neutron scattering method for in situ studies of the dense cores of biological cells and vesicles: application to isolated neurosecretory vesicles
Author(s) -
Krueger S.,
Lynn J. W.,
Russell J. T.,
Nossal R.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889889007491
Subject(s) - vesicle , small angle neutron scattering , scattering , neutron scattering , membrane , gyration , small angle scattering , chemical physics , radius of gyration , small angle x ray scattering , molecular physics , chemistry , biophysics , materials science , crystallography , optics , physics , polymer , biology , composite material , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics
Small‐angle neutron scattering was used to study the structure of the dense cores of intact neurosecretory vesicles (NSV). Contrast‐variation techniques were used to minimize the scattering due to vesicle membranes and emphasize that due to the cores. By examination of a suspension of NSV membranes along with the intact NSV, residual membrane scattering was suppressed. The resultant scattering is inconsistent with model calculations which assume that the dense state of the vesicle cores is achieved by random dense packing or crystallization of small globular particles. Rather, the data suggest that the core constituents exist in a disordered state, forming aggregates with radii of gyration significantly larger than 100 Å.